His Wish, Fulfilled
by LastGirlOnTheWrite
Summary: A day of mirth becomes a day of tragedy that they will never forget. And yet, when the most terrible of sacrifices is called for, fate will be defied. A wish made long ago in a moment of despair will be granted, and their lives shall never be the same.
1. Chapter 1

**_She waited for him._**

_For centuries, she waited. _

_And continued to wait. _

_One after another of the Old Guard fell._

_One after another gave up hope._

_But she persevered. _

_Time continued its march ever onward._

_And she remained._

_Ever faithful._

_Ever watchful._

_Ever patient. _

_Every day, she would say to herself:_

"_He will return."_

_She never lost hope…_

* * *

"Where _is_ that _idiot?_"

Tatsuki Arisawa was pissed.

It was mid-morning, and a group of close friends stood around, waiting impatiently and mentally voicing that same question in various ways. Orihime Inoue wore a concerned look as she watched her friends argue. Keigo was manically whining to Mizurio while Rukia, Tatsuki and Renji fumed. The only ones in the group not actively voicing their dissent were Uryu, who stood off to the side looking annoyed, Chad, who was impassive as ever, and the young healer herself.

It was the beginning of summer, and they were standing at the entrance to a local fair. It had been over a year since Aizen had fallen, and their world had returned to normal. The Soul Reapers had returned to the Soul Society, leaving Karakura in the hands of those who cared for her most. Rukia was able to retake her position as the town's official Soul Reaper, with the added stipulation of keeping an eye on the _unofficial_ one, while Renji returned to his Lieutenancy without any major repercussions. The rest had returned to life as usual, and after a year of relative peace they had all mutually decided to celebrate.

They'd been planning this trip to the fair for _months_. It was originally one of Keigo's ideas, which didn't give it much merit, but after Orihime got excited about the prospect of going everyone else jumped on the idea. Before long the list of people going had grown considerably, until all of their closest friends were coming. Everyone had coordinated their schedules, saved up money… heck, Rukia and Renji had even gotten _vacation time_ to come down here and spend the day with their friends without having to worry about hollow duty.

Except _one_ of them was _missing._

The most _important_ one.

The one that tied them all together.

Ichigo Kurosaki was late.

"Are you sure you told him the right time?"

"Yes, I'm _sure!"_

"You think he got lost?"

"No way. His new phone has GPS!"

"GP-what?"

"Global Positioning… gah! Look, it just means that you can't get lost. It's like having a map of the world on your phone, with directions and everything!"

"Right… Okay, maybe he's hunting hollows?"

"You told him not to bring his badge, didn't you?"

"Oh _please, _like _that_ would stop him. This is _Ichigo_ we're talking about here."

"Good point… _Wait! _Did anyone try _calling_ him?"

"No we didn't because that would _make sense!_"

"I'm guessing that's sarcasm…"

"_Really, _ya think?"

The conversation continued, with each verbal jibe making the group more and more irritated. They couldn't spend all day waiting for Ichigo to show up. They had a limited time here, and each of them wanted to enjoy it as much as possible.

Eventually talk of leaving without him started.

But with two words, it stopped instantly.

"I'll wait."

Orihime Inoue; sweet, kind and innocent. Out of all of them, _she_ had been the one most excited about going out and seeing the rides, the attractions… and _she_ was willing to wait.

They all felt like heels after those two words, each one retracting their previous statements. Ichigo was late, but they wouldn't start without him. Instead, they'd give the teen a little more time while quietly thinking of ways to punish him once he arrived.

That is, _if_ he arrived…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

"Rui, what's your progress?"

"Just a few more minutes sir."

"Excellent."

In a dank and disused section of the Seireitei three men skulked about in the shadows, doing everything in their power to keep their presence hidden. They had been working so long and so hard for this day to come, the day when they could realize their greatest vision; the resurrection of the Seireitei of old.

The Seireitei that stood as a pinnacle of power; strong and unstoppable, infallible and irreproachable.

The Seireitei that would not have lost the Central 46 to a _handful_ of rebellious Captains.

The Seireite that would not have been brought to its _knees_ by _one_ _boy_ and his rag-tag band of _friends_.

Minutes passed as the man in the dark seethed.

How far they had come…

How far they had _fallen_...

Three traitorous Captains…

Whose treachery was ended by a _child._

More than a _dozen _Captain-level individuals in the World of the Living…

All beyond the Soul Society's control.

And _him..._

They didn't even have a _word_ for what _he_ was…

And _he_ was beyond their control as well.

The man shuddered to think of what might happen should this continue. If these individuals were to become organized, if they were to find a common thread, a leader willing to stand and unite them, they could form their own equivalent of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

In the World of the Living.

Beyond their control.

With only their _own_ interests at heart.

If left unchecked, such a force could _overthrow_ the Seireitei _itself!_ They could cast down the old order, leaving naught but smoldering ruin, and replace it with their _own_ regime. Their mere _existence_ could disrupt, possibly even _destroy,_ the balance and the Seireitei as it stood now had neither the means nor the _inclination_ to stop them!

He would _not_ let that happen.

"Sir, we're through!"

The man was drawn out of his contemplations as he rushed over to the patch of stone that the three conspirators had spent the last few months working on. It had taken years to find this place, the last of the artifacts he needed to ensure the continued dominance of the Soul Society hidden within. They took their positions and heaved, pulling the block from its place in the ground.

The seal was finally broken, the last piece of the puzzle revealed.

With _this,_ they could put the power back where it belonged, in the hands of the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and a newly re-formed Assembly of the Central 46 Chambers.

With this, he could set things right again.

* * *

**First and foremost, all author's notes will be located on the bottom for ascetic reasons.**

**Now that that's out of the way…**

**Hi!**

**Welcome to my third fanfiction.**

**I'm LastGirlOnTheWrite. You may know me from such fanfictions as 'On Keeping an Open Mind' and 'The OneMonth Experiment'. **

**If so, hurray!**

**I have fans ^_^**

**If not then I hope you'll enjoy what you find here. It's a gets a little dark, and it will probably be a little confusing in the beginning, but it all comes together in the end.**

**And if I do this right, you might not see it coming till it's too late.**

**And I still don't own anything.**


	2. Chapter 2

_She heard a rumor. _

_It had been seen._

_A demon that prowled the White Sands._

_She begged._

_She pleaded._

_She demanded._

**_And her determination was infectious._**

_Others came._

_Others that had given up before._

_They came to support this last spark of hope._

_She was granted her boon._

_And set out to the White Sands._

_She never gave up…_

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki was running as fast as his legs would carry him.

After all, he was late.

It wasn't his fault, really. The Substitute Soul Reaper had left early, probably earlier than everyone else, so that he could get there on time. He'd learned over the last year to embrace Murphy's Law; everything that can go wrong _will_ go wrong. That was why he'd brought not only his Combat Pass, despite Rukia's insistence that he wouldn't need it, but he also found Kon and dragged the annoying Mod Soul out of the lion plushy just in case he couldn't ditch his body somewhere. Ichigo had even allotted time for dealing with stray Hollows, remembering how late he had been for the Hanami festival the year before because he was busy being a hero.

What he had not counted on, however, was a lazy Soul Reaper.

Ichigo had found the guy lying on a roof, asleep, _right_ below where the Substitute _himself_ had been forced to cleanse a Hollow, because _apparently_ the guy that was _supposed_ to be looking out for the town was _napping_ on the job.

The teen was not happy.

Ichigo Kurosaki spent the next twenty minutes yelling at the oblivious Soul Reaper, giving the poor guy a lecture the likes of which he would not soon forget. The young Vaizard could be _mighty_ scary when he wanted to, and if he was going to be taking a day off to hang out with his friends he wanted to be absolutely _sure_ that the person taking his place could do the job _right_.

After having given the poor rank and file Soul Reaper the scare of a lifetime, Ichigo rushed to catch up with Kon, who was in his body and _supposed_ to be continuing on to the rendezvous while the teen chewed out his temp.

Of course, Kon _hadn't_ continued on.

Instead, the Mod Soul had gotten about three blocks before spotting an adult bookstore, and was waiting for the foot traffic to pass so that he could slip in unnoticed.

Ichigo, however, _did_ notice.

So now after lecturing a Soul Reaper, he had to lecture a _Mod Soul_ too.

After he was back in his body, and done screaming, Ichigo checked his phone and cursed.

He was late.

So he started running.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

"Look, Orihime, we can't wait for him forever. I don't know what's held Ichigo up, but it must be important if its kept him this long."

"I know Tatsuki-chan, but still… I'd like to wait. You all could go on ahead."

"…*Sigh*… Orihime, we're not leaving you here by yourself. It isn't safe and you know it."

"Yes, I know, but… Oh! Kurosaki-kun!"

Orihime Inoue started waving her arms joyfully, relief evident in her voice. The rest of their group stared at her for a moment before looking in the direction she was facing. At first the crowds kept the object of their current predicament hidden, but soon enough each of them spotted a spattering of bright orange hair.

Ichigo Kurosaki came into view, a little winded and sweating slightly. He'd stopped running as he rounded the corner, not wanting to accidentally cause a panic, but still kept up a brisk pace as he caught his breath. He politely returned Orihime's wave when she came into view, and mentally prepared himself for the chewing out he was going to get from Rukia and Tatsuki for taking so long.

When he got within yelling distance, which for their group was about ten feet, Ichigo was verbally assaulted just as he thought he was going to be. Tatsuki and Rukia ganged up on him while Uryu occasionally added a quip that exacerbated the situation.

The Substitute _could_ have told them that it was actually _Rukia's_ fault that he was late, since the Soul Reaper she'd gotten to cover for her was one of those '_last in the bargain bin'_ deals, but he didn't. All that would do at this point was start an argument, which Ichigo just wasn't in the mood for. They came here to have fun, so if he had to take one for the team so that they could get on with their day, he would.

Before long their anger was satiated, and with the gang all present and accounted for, they made their way into the fair.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Captain Kyoraku had never been to this part of the Seireitei before.

It was one of those bizarre little in-between places that had been sealed up and forgotten about as the surrounding buildings had been destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again. Such places were fairly common throughout the Seireitei nowadays, especially after all of the recent activity.

Most of it usually concerning a certain orange haired Substitute…

"Shunsui, this way!"

The Captain followed the voice of his dear friend, Jushiro Ukitake, deeper into the small chasm. In all honesty, he wouldn't even _be_ here right now if the sickly Captain hadn't asked for his assistance. The poor man had recently overcome a more serious bout of illness, and was eager to sink his teeth into a new mystery alongside his closest friend.

Who was Shunsui to deny him that?

The Captain of Squad Eight diligently followed the sound of his friend's voice. There wasn't much further to go as Shunsui found the Captain of Squad Thirteen crouched over a hole in the ground where one of the flagstones had been moved.

"Find anything Jushiro?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Whatever was hidden here is gone now, and whoever took it was very thorough in covering their tracks."

This had been happening more and more often lately. About six months ago someone had broken into the Kuchiki manor and stolen a few ancient, but supposedly useless, documents. After that, scenes like this one had started popping up all around the Seireitei. A flagstone in an old and forgotten part of the city was removed, and beneath was an alcove with a broken seal, with whatever was being kept hidden now gone.

"Shunsui… What do you think could have been here? What are these people after?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, at this point…"

"_There is no need to guess."_

Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku froze for a moment before turning from the room at large to face the exit.

There, standing in all his glory, was Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

And he looked concerned.

"Master… You know what has happened here?"

"I do. Captain Kyoraku of Squad Eight, Captain Ukitake of Squad Thirteen, you will accompany me now. I am calling an emergency Captain's Meeting."

"Old man, is that really necessary?"

"I am afraid so. Pray that I am wrong Shunsui, but I fear that I now know what is happening. If that is the case, the situation could hardly be more dire…"

* * *

**I believe you are aware of the war I am currently waging with _plot bunnies_, yes?**

**Well, if not, you are now.**

**How _else_ could I juggle _three_ stories at once?**

**One of which could actually make me money…**

…

**If I ever get it done _**

**And I still don't own anything.**


	3. Chapter 3

_The White Sands were as she remembered._

**_In the Citadel of a former enemy's power, where laid naught but ruin, none dared to take up residence, until now._**

_Upon the rubble he sat, as she remembered him in one of their darkest hours._

_The broken stones cradling his taught frame, he rested upon a throne of decay._

_Her companions flinched and shifted, entrapped by fear at his visage. _

_But not her. _

_She was beyond fear._

_She approached…_

* * *

For some of them it was their first time going to a fair, and for others it had been so long that it may as well have been.

As they wandered around, different things attracted different members of the group.

Ichigo and Renji gravitated towards the more competitive games, with Keigo, Uryu and even Tatsuki occasionally getting dragged along for the ride. It was always an effort to drag the two antagonistic boys away from the stalls, keeping them from getting caught up in any one game.

Orihime, Rukia and, surprisingly enough, Chad, seemed more interested in the rides, the colorful attractions, and any stall that had stuffed animals for prizes. At one point the entire group had to wait nearly twenty minutes for a mime and a clown to finish their act because Orihime had become completely entranced and refused to leave.

And all the while, Mizurio seemed content to simply hang back with his phone, secretly taking pictures of everyone without their knowledge. To him, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Monday, the rumor mill was going to be buzzing mad thanks to the candid shots he was getting.

As the day wound on and the sun began its trip downwards, everyone found themselves enjoying the outing far more than they thought they would.

The gang was gathered together, having fun, and for once the world wasn't coming to an end.

For once they could just enjoy a day out.

Not as comrades…

… Or allies…

… Or war heroes…

… Just as _friends_.

But then Tatsuki caught sight of something really interesting, and just couldn't help the sly smile that came to her face.

She'd just found a way to punish Ichigo for being late…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

"I am Rui, former member of Squad 5."

"I am Kimiko, former liaison to the Central 46 Chambers."

"I am Minamoto, former member of Squad 1."

"I am Usagi, widow of a member of the Central 46 Chambers."

"And I am Yatsufusa, former member of the Central 46 Chambers. It is good to finally meet all of you in person."

The five of them stood in the dark of Hueco Mundo, the black of eternal night looming over their heads, surrounded by white sands on one side.

On the other, the slowly crumbling ruins of Las Noches towered over them.

The great citadel had laid abandoned, save for the occasional Hollow that takes up residence there only to be hunted and slain by a monthly patrol from the Soul Society.

That is, until now.

"Is it true then? Are we finally ready to bring _him_ back?"

"Yes. The last part has been retrieved. Soon the only man to ever stand against Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and live shall be returned to our side."

"Then does that mean that the Head Captain is now aware of the situation?"

"Yes. That is why we must move quickly. The sooner all of the components are assembled, the sooner we can move on to the next phase."

"But won't he try to stop us?"

"Without a doubt. That is why we are assembling it here, where the Soul Society has no power. Once it is complete we will move to where _he_ is waiting, and by then it will be too late for anyone to stop us."

"What makes you so sure? We still need a power source because none of _us_ are strong enough to supply that kind of raw energy, and I _highly_ doubt you've convinced a _Captain_ to make that kind of…"

"That is not important. We have found a means by which to gain the power we need. Rui will be taking care of that part of the plan. The rest of us need only focus on completing the mechanism and keeping it defended."

Before anyone else could voice their concerns or fears, Yatsufusa quickly led them inside, through a breach in the fortress wall. He smirked lightly, momentarily amused by the irony before returning to his normal stern countenance.

They entered a dark corridor leading into the depths of the fallen city.

Each carried with them a sack, some larger than others, as they walked deeper.

It took nearly an hour of following various twists and turns to reach their destination. It was a high ceilinged room with a great deal of mechanical clutter lying around. At one end stood two pillars, their way out, the floor around them cleared of any debris.

Once inside they activated one of the many devices littering the ground, and the room was engulfed in a powerful barrier. After they were successfully sealed in, the conspirators opened the sacks and removed the last few artifacts they had pilfered from the Seireitei, adding them to the large collection.

Yatsufusa knew that with the retrieval of the last artifact the Head Captain would have figured out what they were doing.

He would not sit idly by as the conspirators worked to tear his throne from under him.

He would move to stop them.

Let him try.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

In the Soul Society the atmosphere in the Captain's Meeting Hall was tense, far more so than it had ever been before.

Head Captain Yamamoto stood as he impatiently waited for the last of the arriving Captains, Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad Eleven, to take his place in line. Once he had, the Soul Society's greatest Soul Reaper spoke to the assembled Captains, and the urgency in his voice had even the most uninterested attendees quickly on edge.

"I now begin this Emergency Captain's Meeting. An incident has occurred within the Seireitei that now threatens the safety of not only those within the Soul Society, but also specific individuals within the World of the Living, and requires our immediate attention. I will now give you a briefing on what I believe has occurred…"

* * *

**The plot bunnies have ordered a cease fire.**

**So…**

**It may take a little longer for chapters to come out.**

**Regardless, I'm gonna try to get a chapter for The OneMonth Experiment done soon. I'm still working out the kinks in it, but that's what happens when the plot bunnies abandon me…**


	4. Chapter 4

_She ascended the rubble to stand before his throne._

_He rose at her approach._

_She checked the desire to run up, to embrace him as she did in her dreams. _

_She moved slowly._

_She remembered before. _

_He was there…_

… _Buried…_

… _But there. _

**_She stood before him, not an ounce of fear tainting her heart._**

_He stood before her…_

… _Mane billowing in the wind…_

… _Skin white as the desert sand…_

… _Eyes dark and devoid of luster…_

… _Tattered cloth barely clinging to his frame…_

… _An ebony sword held lightly in his hand._

_She reached out…_

* * *

How the _hell_ had Ichigo gotten himself into _this?_

The Substitute Soul Reaper was currently locked in a small room with a wall of plexiglass between himself and freedom as he sat on a small wooden plank, with his long legs dangling over a pool of luke-warm water.

He was in a dunk tank.

He _never_ should have agreed to Tatsuki's little _proposal_.

Sure, using Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide _who_ had to participate in _what_ embarrassing attraction had _seemed _like a good idea at the time, and getting to deck Renji with a whipped cream pie _was_ priceless… but…

But when it's _you_ staring down the barrel, it's not so much fun.

Ichigo watched in horror as his so-called _friends_ were participating in another game to decide who gets the first crack at 'Dunking the Strawberry', as that evil _wench_ of a childhood friend had put it.

Tatsuki, on the other hand, was beside herself with glee. She had originally wanted to get Ichigo caught in the attraction that Renji lost on, mostly so she could make a 'Strawberries and Cream' joke, but this was almost as good.

She wanted to dunk Ichigo herself, but unfortunately her skills at Rock-Paper-Scissors weren't as good as her skills at scheming.

In the end, Keigo won that round.

Which was fine by Ichigo.

His excitable friend didn't have an athletic bone in his body, and he was a coward to boot. One glare from the angry Substitute was enough to scare the brunette into making his throw miss by a mile.

So it was back to Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who gets the next crack at him.

Tatsuki quickly saw a problem here. Ichigo was a volatile person by nature. He would try to intimidate anyone that tried to take a shot, and whoever _did _manage to dunk him was going to receive the full brunt of his ire.

Which could be a very bad thing.

Then she realized something. There was _one_ person he couldn't get mad at. In a stroke of genius Tatsuki quickly gathered everyone together, minus one _particular_ member of the group that was almost begrudgingly participating at this point.

The conspiracy lasted only a few moments, and the next round of Rock-Paper-Scissors was fixed.

With Orihime Inoue as the winner.

The look on Ichigo's face was priceless.

He knew he was screwed.

He couldn't intimidate Orihime, even if he _wanted_ to, because Tatsuki would kill him if he tried.

And from what he'd heard from the martial artist herself, Orihime had _very_ good aim.

Tatsuki watched with amusement as a silent exchange began between the two bright haired teens as Orihime approached the throwing line. It was like they were having an entire conversation with just their facial expressions.

"_Sorry…"_

"_Don't apologize; it's not your fault…"_

"_If you want, I could miss on purpose…"_

"_*Sigh*… No, we'd better just get it over with…"_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_If you don't' do it, someone else will. At least this way they can't gloat."_

"_Ookay…"_

The exchanged ended as Orihime picked up the softball that she was supposed to lob at the nearby target. She felt terrible. Why did everyone have to pick _Rock_? It wasn't fair….

She was probably the only person that _didn't_ want to dunk Ichigo…

And yet, here she was getting ready to do just that. She sighed and looked up to him again, shyly wondering if he would be mad.

And of course, Ichigo just urged her to get on with it.

She sighed one more time, looking dejectedly at the target. She wasn't afraid to dunk him… she just didn't like the idea of embarrassing him further.

So, with one more deep breath, Orihime closed her eyes and threw…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Yatsufusa was pleased.

They had finished the device in record time.

Now, they merely needed to find their targets and move into position.

The Garganta was opened, and Rui and Minamoto quickly slipped through to the World of the Living to scout the area. They were the only fighters of the group, save for Yatsufusa himself, and they needed to make certain that the Soul Society had not yet made their move.

Luck was with them, and soon all of the components were shifted from Hueco Mundo to a small field in the middle of a forest about a mile out from the famous Karakura Town.

They wasted no time in setting up their safe zone, ensuring that any sudden presence from the Soul Society would be unable to find them easily.

After all, they needed to buy themselves some time.

When Yatsufusa was satisfied with their defenses, he sent Rui and Minamoto out in search of the last few pieces of his grand puzzle.

They needed to find two things before they could enter the final stage of their plan.

The first was the location of the _Schism_.

And the second… was the location of their _power source_.

Which, of course, doubled as their _collateral_.

After all, once the _Schism_ was emptied, the void left behind would need to be _filled_...

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

In the Soul Society, the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were in various states of disbelief and distress.

The Head Captain's explanation was _terrifying_.

Their orders were given out quickly. Captains Hitsugaya, Kuchiki and Ukitake were to go to the World of the Living _immediately_.

There, they were to split up.

Captain Ukitake was to contact Kisuke Urahara and apprise him of the situation.

Captain Kuchiki was to search for signs of the Conspirators, specifically where they planned to open a hole into the prison known as the _Schism_.

And Captain Hitsugaya was to find the Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, apprise _him_ of the situation and, if necessary, _defend_ him.

For a Soul Reaper, as old and powerful as the Head Captain himself, was going to be released into the World of the Living…

… at the cost of _another_ Captain class Soul Reaper's freedom.

* * *

**Well now…**

**All's not well in paradise, is it?**

**And it's only going to get worse.**

**Much, _much_ worse.**

**Ooooh… _I can't wait!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_She touched his hand. _

**_She called to him._**

**_She spoke his name._**

_His surname._

_As she always had_

_As he would remember._

_And he did…_

* * *

As the gang moved on from the more humbling attractions in search of the food stalls, a loud sneeze suddenly erupted from the rear of the pack.

"K-Kurosaki-kun…"

"*Sniff*… ah… yeah?"

"… I'm sorry…"

"*Sigh*… Inoue, you don't have to keep _apologizing_."

Ichigo belatedly tried to hide his slight sniffle and ignore his water-logged clothes as Orihime nervously kneaded the back of her head. Somehow, even with her eyes closed, the healer had managed to hit the target and send Ichigo into the lukewarm waters of the dunk tank.

Ever since then she had been apologizing non-stop, horribly embarrassed and worried that she had somehow made him angry or upset.

And Ichigo had just assured her that it was fine and she shouldn't worry about it anymore.

In truth, Ichigo was only slightly irate, but the feeling was mostly directed at Tatsuki. More than anything the Substitute just wanted to find something to eat and, more importantly, something warm to drink and maybe a restroom where he could wring out his clothes. The water hadn't been cold, thankfully, and had actually been kind of refreshing in the afternoon heat. But the warmth of the day was quickly waning as afternoon slowly marched towards sunset. They had agreed beforehand that they were going to stay until the fireworks display, but that wasn't until several hours later. By then, the air would most _definitely_ be colder, and Ichigo didn't want to be waterlogged when that happened.

After all, the last thing the Substitute wanted to do was catch a cold while they waited.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Minamoto's search ended swiftly. The point of least resistance, according to the device he was carrying, was in the middle of a flat plane of grass barely a quarter mile from where they had arrived.

This was the place they needed.

The walls between dimensions were exceptionally thin here, so it would take less energy to punch a hole through one membrane and into another.

It was important to keep the strain to a minimum because there was no telling how much _power _Rui would be able to get out of his target without getting himself killed.

Suddenly the device in Minamoto's hand began to behave erratically, signifying a disturbance in the barrier between dimensions.

That could only mean one thing.

A Senkaimon had just opened.

Minamoto quickly Shunpoed back to the first clearing, informing Yatsufusa of what he'd found, and what has happened.

Their leader quickly instructed them to gather the important pieces of equipment and move them to the new location, leaving everything else there to distract any pursuers.

After all, they had run out of time.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Rui was contacted by Yatsufusa via a small radio, informing him of the situation, and their move.

The conspirator involuntarily tensed. His task in the plan was to find a certain individual, an individual that was _infamous_ for not being able to suppress his Spiritual Pressure at all… and yet he was having trouble pinpointing his target's location.

It was as though a thick fog enveloped him, and the more Rui tried to push through the more the haze held him back.

It was quite aggravating.

At the very least, the conspirator _did_ have a general direction he could work off of. Whatever was distorting his ability to detect _rietsu_ couldn't hide it completely.

It was the best he could do at the moment.

So he continued onward.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Outside of the Urahara Shoten, a single Senkaimon opened up, releasing three individuals into the World of the Living.

The first to arrive didn't waste any time. He simple stepped out, and then Shunpoed off to begin his search for the traitors that had disrupted his peaceful day.

The second also didn't wait. He instead moved a small distance away before letting his sense lead him towards his own target.

The third, however, _did_ wait.

And when the door to the Urahara Shoten was opened, the proprietor's jovial greeting was cut off by the somber look on the visiting Captain's face.

Kisuke Urahara didn't miss a beat, inviting Captain Jushiro Ukitake into his humble shop before shutting the door behind them.

After all, the Soul Society sent _one_ Captain when there was trouble.

They sent _two_ when there was a serious problem.

But they only sent _three_ when there was a _catastrophe_ looming.

As soon as his guest was seated and Tessai had served the pair some tea, Kisuke Urahara decided that he had been a polite enough host and was permitted to ask some questions now.

"So, how bad is it?"

"Very."

"What's happened?"

"According to the Head Captain, a small group of conspirators are attempting to open the _Schism_. It is a dimension that exists on the cusp of a small area in the World of the Living; a prison designed to hold Soul Reapers that are so powerful that normal means of capture and detainment would be nearly impossible or result in widespread destruction. It is meant to keep them housed, safely and securely, for the entirety of their sentence. At the moment, the _Schism_ is currently housing a single individual… A man whose name has been stricken from the records for his crimes and has been imprisoned there for twenty five hundred of his three thousand year sentence."

"W-Wow… what did he _do_?"

"According to the records… he assassinated the previous Head Captain…"

* * *

**This one was shorter because it had to be.**

**Sorry, that's just the way it is!**

**After all, I wouldn't want to give too much away, now would I?**


	6. Chapter 6

**_She saw it in his eyes._**

_Recognition. _

_She embraced him, wrapping his tattered frame in herself._

_Showing him._

_Reminding him._

_She was here._

_She had waited._

_She had never lost hope._

_She was not afraid._

_For a second he leaned in, accepting the embrace, before his weight fell upon her._

_A hiss of sand filled the air as a sword fell to the ground._

_Hierro blew into the wind as the one beneath was revealed. _

_She smiled._

_She cried._

_She had never lost hope._

_She knew he would come back._

_She was right._

_And this: her reward._

_It was him, just as she said it would be._

_He had returned…_

* * *

The group of friends had to commandeer and slide together two tables to fit everyone into one spot. They had managed to find one of the rest areas where stalls were set up offering food and drink to the attending patrons and wasted no time in claiming an area off to the side and near the trees as their own. It had been at just the right time too because the lines were fairly short and most of the seats were empty.

The sun had started to dip down below the horizon as the various teens and Soul Reapers got what food and drink they wanted before seating themselves and eating. Everyone was still buzzing with excitement despite having been out all day, and even though the air was starting to cool significantly there were no complaints.

At the end of one table, with a gleeful smile and some powdered sugar on her cheek, Orihime Inoue blissfully watched her friends as they all chatted. It made her heart warm to see all of them here together, alive and well, and enjoying themselves.

It was nothing like _last_ year…

It had been so hard after the war had ended.

So many people were hurt; so many wounds needed to be healed.

And not just physical ones.

Orihime remembered what Ichigo had been like after that last battle. It was hard for her to see it, that lackluster look in his eyes. It was as though a part of him had been broken and no one was quite sure how to fix it.

When she thought about it, Orihime realized that they had _all_ been like that. A little broken on the inside, but alive and willing to keep on fighting, keep on _living_.

They got better. All of them, together, had managed to work through their problems. By the time that winter had finally ended, they were themselves again; A little older, a little smarter, a _lot_ stronger, and a lot less _naïve_… but themselves none the less.

As she watched everyone intently, she was amazed at what she saw. If she hadn't known it, _experienced_ _it_ herself, she never would have thought that the nine of them had been caught in the middle of a war. Everywhere she looked there were smiles and laughter, the real and genuine kind.

Even Ichigo seemed happy.

He wasn't as waterlogged anymore and since he was drinking some hot tea he wasn't bothered by the cold. He was still scowling as usual, but it was softer than normal and Orihime could almost swear that his eyes were _sparkling_. She couldn't help but marvel at how he could keep his face so stoic even though he seemed to be smiling _brilliantly_ on the inside…

She wondered if anyone else could see it…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Concealing himself within a small copse of trees near what seemed to be a festive gathering of some kind, Rui groaned inwardly.

There was a problem.

He had managed to find the target he had been looking for. Unfortunately, that target was currently in a very open, very _public_ place, and seemed to be surrounded by several formidable allies.

The conspirator was at a loss.

The next phase of the plan _required_ that he get within striking distance of his target, but doing so would be nearly impossible with so many spiritually aware eyes in the area.

Rui fell back further, moving well out of site, before contacting Yatsufusa.

There was no way the conspirator would be able to complete his mission and return to the clearing without help.

He needed a distraction.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Back in Urahara's humble shop, said proprietor was still wrapping his mind around the implications of Jushiro Ukitake's last statement.

"He… _assassinated_ a Head Captain… Wouldn't you be _executed_ for something like that?"

"Normally, yes, but apparently there were extenuating circumstances in this case. The official records label it as an _assassination_, however according to the Head Captain the situation was far more complicated…"

"How so?"

"Master didn't tell us much, but we did get the basic idea of what happened. At the time of the incident, the Soul Society was in a state of flux. Two main factions were prominent during that era. The first was conservative, and wanted to have the Seireitei concentrate its forces on defending the Soul Society first and foremost, only dealing with the problems of other worlds after their own safety was secured. The second was more… proactive. They believed that rather than spend all of their time and resources on the Soul Society, the Seireitei should expand to have units permanently stationed in other worlds, to watch over and mold their societies from the background. The two sides clashed constantly. The Head Captain of that time was concerned that if something wasn't done soon there would be civil war. So he sought to appease both sides by finding an individual among their ranks that could appreciate both views."

"I'm guessing he couldn't find one in time?"

"Quite the contrary. Apparently the Head Captain found someone that fit that roll perfectly. He was a young Captain, but his views were flexible and his judgment sound. He could see the merits of both sides' arguments, but he could also see the pitfalls and the potential for corruption and amorality. We were told that this man was exceptional, and that the only thing he actually _lacked_ was the skill and experience that came with time."

"I see… That young man wouldn't happen to have been…"

"No, I'm afraid not. Master made it very clear that he was _not_ this young man. He was one of the Captains of that long forgotten era, and although he _had_ been considered for the position of Head Captain he had been deemed too conservative for the role at the time. He was, however, friends with the young man in question, and knew well the qualities that the Head Captain saw in him. There was, however, another Captain that was not so accommodating. He had also been a candidate for the position of Head Captain, and was in fact one of the most powerful men the Seireitei had ever seen. He also had a temper, was fairly stubborn, and far too radical to be an effective leader."

"Uh-oh…"

"Yes… I'm afraid things did not end well…"

* * *

**Crystal Dawn, I'm flattered that you think this is like an OVA or a movie.**

**I wish it _was _one.**

**I love the plot I've come up with, and I think the little twist at Chapter 14/15 will surprise the _hell_ out of everyone.**

**I wonder if anyone will figure it out before I get there…**

**Well, we'll see!**

**Also, just so everyone knows, this story will have 20 chapters and 1 or 2 Epilogues.**

**Well, later~**


	7. Chapter 7

_He awoke in bed, to her smile._

_She spoke, and he winced. _

_She whispered, and it was better. _

_She talked to him._

_Told him things._

_Things he didn't remember._

_Things he had forgotten._

_Things he wasn't there to forget._

**_He tried to smile, but the muscles strained. _**

_He tried to speak, but his voice failed. _

_Slowly, he remembered, and his heart moved._

_It took all his effort, all his strength, to speak a single word. _

_His first word in centuries._

_It was barely a whisper, but she heard…_

* * *

Tatsuki and Rukia, among others, had noticed the looks Orihime had been sending Ichigo.

The relationship between the two was a point of some contention between the well-meaning friends. Each was fairly certain that their bright-haired companions had _some_ sort of feelings for each other… but which ones and to what extent had kept them all puzzled. Some believed they were in love, others thought they were just friends, and some thought they should mind their own business.

It was the little things that stood out. Over the past year the two teens had been behaving differently around each other. It was subtle, almost non-existent, and had built so slowly that no one actually noticed.

That is until Renji came to visit after returning to his duties as Squad Six Lieutenant and commented on the strange behavior.

After that day, everyone watched the pair more closely, and now half of them had developed complexes while trying to figure out what each little glance or stutter might mean. It wasn't much; just a look here, a blush there. Sometimes it was a kind gesture, other times it was just the ease with which they shared each other's company.

Everyone had their suspicions…

But only Tatsuki knew for sure.

The truth was that Orihime was hopelessly in love, completely obsessed but keeping it quiet. She got to see Ichigo almost every day, and his presence alone brought her a sense of safety and joy that she couldn't get anywhere else. They were close friends, and over the last few months they had been getting closer and closer, and she couldn't be happier for it.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was finally starting to realize that his heart served a purpose other than pumping blood. The first clue had been during a trip to the beach last summer. Orihime had come out of the water with a large piece of kelp in her hair, chatting excitedly without a care in the world. Ichigo felt the desire to smile then, but the muscles were so disused to the movement that it was only a little larger than his normal smirk.

But there was a big, goofy grin plastered on the _inside_.

Since then Ichigo had been figuring things out, and by this point he had a pretty good idea of what was up with him.

Which was why he'd asked Tatsuki's permission to '_court'_ Orihime.

He wouldn't _dare_ ask the girl out without the martial artist's permission.

She'd kill him.

And boy, had _that_ been an interesting conversation…

But somehow he got Tatsuki's ok.

That was yesterday.

Ichigo had no idea what he was going to do or say to ask Orihime out on a date.

None whatsoever.

But at the very least he wanted to wait until they were alone first.

Maybe during the fireworks…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

In the Urahara Shoten, the air was tense as Captain Ukitake continued recounting the Head Captain's explanation.

"On the day of his promotion to Head Captain the young man was publically approached by the more radical Captain, and was challenged to a formal duel. Because the challenge was announced in public the young man had no choice but to accept, and in the ensuing battle he was cruelly slain. Afterwards, the Captain had the audacity to declare that _he_ now held the position of Head Captain through trial-by-combat.

"He had, however, miscalculated. The young man was well liked throughout the Soul Society, and his killer quickly learned that such bonds are not so easily severed. In the battle that ensued much of the Seireitei had been decimated, and several Lieutenants and two Captains had been killed, but the man responsible was apprehended none the less.

"At his trial, Central 46 found him guilty of assassination. But when it came time to determine his sentence, which according to the laws of the Soul Society should have been execution, politics got in the way. Many members of the radical faction made it clear that if this Captain were executed they would leave the service of the Seireitei, promising civil war.

"That was when Master, as well as all of the remaining Captains and the previous Head Captain, intervened. They convinced the Chambers to forego the death sentence in favor of an extended prison sentence. However, keeping a man imprisoned for several _thousand_ years would not be an easy task, especially considering the number of people that would likely attempt to break in and set him free. That was when Master suggested the use of the _Schism_, a space created within the layers of the _dangai_ designed to be completely impenetrable."

"And that's what someone is trying to open up now?"

"Yes. The _Schism_ was designed so that capital offenders of noble standing would have an option to prove themselves innocent regardless of how guilty they really were. The captive would be placed within the Vortex, a howling chasm that served as the opening into the _Schism_ itself. Then the Vortex would close, trapping him or her there until the end of their sentence. Once time was up, the Vortex would open again… but into Hueco Mundo. If, by some miracle, the prisoner manages to return to the Soul Society after all of that, by law all of their crimes were to be forgiven and they were to be allowed to return to their prior duties. All were agreed, and the _assassin_ was consigned to the _Schism_. A short time later, Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto took up the position of Head Captain after having distinguished himself by capturing the assassin, and has held it ever since."

"I see… But if this _Schism_ opens naturally, why go to all of the effort to open it _manually_? Why not just wait?"

"That we do not know. The inner workings of the _Schism_ are a closely guarded secret, the objects necessary to open it scattered across the Seireitei along with various other dangerous artifacts that had been produced over the years. All we truly know is that to prematurely open the Vortex one must poses Captain-level spiritual pressure, or Lieutenant-level and be in a place of high dimensional flux. Furthermore, should the captive be released the Vortex will sync itself to whatever spiritual pressure initiated the opening."

"But… that means…"

"Yes. Whoever opens the _Schism_ to release its prisoner must then take the prisoner's place, and complete the sentence themselves…"

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Minamoto knew there were risks.

He knew that the odds of surviving this venture were slim.

He knew that even if they succeeded he would not likely live to see the results.

He was alright with that.

He had done his time; served the Seireitei well during his tenure. But things had changed, and the Soul Society he once knew and served with reverence no longer existed. It had grown, become something new and entirely foreign to him.

He took a leave of absence in the hopes of changing with it.

But he could not.

So when he agreed to aid Yatsufusa with this venture, he did so knowing… _hoping…_ that he might give his life in the name of something great.

In the name of the Soul Society's salvation.

So when Yatsufusa told him that Rui needed a distraction, he could think of only one thing that would work.

After all, nothing gets your attention quite like an angry Captain…

* * *

**I was fighting with this chapter a little bit (and with Final Fantasy XIII, but that's a different story…). I originally wasn't going to mention anything specific between Ichigo and Orihime, but I like this better.**

**Mostly because it will make a part later on that much more poignant.**

**Also, on a grammatical note, during the explanation with Ukitake the punctuation is correct. When writing, if the same character is still speaking but you've come to the end of a paragraph you can leave off the closing quotation and continue on as normal. This may cause some minor confusion, but I honestly didn't want to have Urahara interrupting every few sentences.**

**And now I need to work on the next chapter for The One Month Experiment.**

**Seriously, I _know_ what needs to happen, I just can't quite figure out how to start it or which perspective it should be from…**

**Decisions… _decisions…_**


	8. Chapter 8

_She whispered to him. _

_Whispered, whispered, whispered._

_And his eyes rose._

_They grew less clouded. _

_She saw him try to speak, and fail. _

_She saw the tiniest lines of frustration form upon his face. _

_Her heart lurched at the nostalgia. _

_She felt his hand pulse her own where she clung to him. _

_She watched with concern at the strain on his features. _

_He called to her._

_He spoke her name. _

_Her surname._

_As he always had._

_As she would remember. _

_**She smiled her brightest smile.**_

_She cried with joy as she held his hand to her chest._

_She felt it pulse once more before his orbs, now forever gilded in darkness, fell to exhaustion. _

_She watched him, and felt peace at last._

_He remembered…_

* * *

Eventually the gang finally decided to quit the little area they had commandeered while eating and return to the festivities at large.

But they didn't get far.

A scant twenty feet into the nearest pathway between attractions and everyone was forced to stop.

All because of two red-heads with hot tempers.

It all started because Renji couldn't help but antagonize Ichigo into another competition, hoping to knock the guy down a few pegs. The Lieutenant had noticed how all of the girls seemed to be _watching_ the Substitute, and it was starting to irk him how some _kid_ was always getting all the attention.

It wasn't fair.

Sure, the two of them were friends, and good ones at that, but something about how the rest of the world seemed to just _revolve_ around the teen rubbed Renji the wrong way. The veteran Soul Reaper didn't want to admit that he was jealous, but the truth was that no matter where he went or what he did Ichigo was always a few steps ahead of him.

And the worst part was that Renji knew beyond any shadow of doubt that Ichigo had _earned_ it.

He had earned all of the attention and the respect he received.

That and more.

Renji just wished he could have earned it too.

Which was why he picked on the kid every chance he got.

And it was also why he and Ichigo were currently throwing darts at balloons.

The Substitute himself wasn't entirely sure why he kept getting into these little competitions. Someone would say something, and then there would be arguing, and then he'd be in front of one of these stalls again. He didn't always win, but when he did he was sure to rub it in Renji's face.

Mostly because he knew his friend would do the same.

This time Ichigo won, much to the Lieutenant's dismay.

Before long Renji had grumbled off, leaving Ichigo to choose the prize.

The teen was at a loss for a few moments. The stall's prizes weren't anything of interest to him; just a bunch of stuffed animals and a few action figures. He couldn't help but groan at the idea of carrying one of these things around the rest of the night, and honestly wondered if he could get away with just leaving without one…

That is, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

His attention caught, Ichigo looked over to see Orihime, her eyes glazed over as she looked at one prize in particular. He carefully leaned over to take a look at what had his classmate so enraptured. He had no idea what it was supposed to be, and there were far too many neon colors in its fur to be practical, but the girl seemed to like it, which was all he needed to know.

Before he could stop himself, or think about the potential implications, Ichigo had gotten the attendant's attention and pointed the little plush toy with so many offensive colors.

Five seconds later Ichgo was holding what he figured was a fox that fell into three different vats of tye-dye, offering the little thing to Orihime as a gift.

She blushed, wide eyed and shocked beyond rational thought, and then stumbled over a few words before stuttering out a shy thank-you and taking the plush toy. She hugged it to her chest for a moment before looking back to the young man that had gotten it for her.

And she smiled.

_That_ smile.

That great-big, heartfelt, _ecstatic_ smile.

That smile that practically screamed '_You just made my lifetime_!'

A light dusting of pink made its way to Ichigo's cheeks as he felt his heart beat a little harder at that. He tried to hide the smile creeping up on his lips, but he was failing miserably. That look on Orihime's face made him feel the strangest things. It was weird, and at first it had totally freaked him out, but after a while he started to like that feeling.

The feeling that she needed him.

He liked seeing her happy like that.

And he liked knowing that _he_ was the one to put that brilliant smile on her face.

Off to the side of the two blushing teens, the peanut gallery was stunned into silence.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

It didn't take long for Minamoto to find his target.

Unlike the others, who had to track by feel, Minamoto still possessed the dimension-reading device and the ripples from the Senkaimon were still bouncing around in the space between Worlds. He could tell where the reinforcements from the Soul Society had arrived, what direction they had moved to, and their relative power levels.

He decided to go for the weakest of the trio that had arrived.

Which just happened to be the one closest to Rui and his target.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Captain Hisugaya stood atop the tallest building he could find in the area, trying as hard as he could to locate Ichigo Kurosaki.

Which would have been much easier if the local spiritual presences weren't being artificially dissipated.

It was a defensive measure that the Kisuke Urahara, with the permission of the Soul Society, was testing. It was meant to hide the presence of spiritually aware humans in the World of the Living over a large area to reduce, if not right out _eliminate,_ the presence of low-level Hollows by making them think there wasn't anything worth eating here.

It was still a work-in-progress, but unfortunately for the Captain the experiment was breaking up the energy in the air just enough to be very annoying.

He had at the very least narrowed the field down to some kind of odd festival. It was, however, a very large area and the Captain had no idea where to start looking for the bright haired teen.

So it was that Toshiro Hitsugaya, distracted and exasperated, was caught unawares when a sword nimbly attempted to slip through his guard…

* * *

**Ladies and Gentlemen…**

**The Fluff has ended.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Time passed. _

_They spoke quietly, always quietly, for his ears were tender._

_She watched him recover. _

_He could walk again, though slowly._

_But his condition did not change._

_She knew it would not, from that first day._

_She could not make him what he once was._

_She had tried._

_It was beyond her. _

_**He would forever be caught between.**_

_He would forever feel like a monster though he was the kindest of saints. _

_She did not care. _

_She had waited this long._

_Even if he was changed, she would accept him._

_She loved him still…_

* * *

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10… How far the Seireitei has fallen. To think that they would allow someone so _careless_ to take up a Captaincy…"

Blood dripped down to the ground below from the tip of Minamoto's Zanpaktou.

And standing upon the air before him was the Captain he was tracking, sanguine liquid trailing down his left arm.

Sunset had long since ended, and now only the faintest glow upon the horizon kept the night at bay. In the waning light the strike had been quick, and had it not been for the slight glint off of the blade as it fell Toshiro Hitsugaya would have a punctured lung rather than a slashed shoulder. The sleeve of his _kosode_ had a single, clean cut that left the white _hakama_ underneath similarly rent and stained red.

Hitsugaya cursed himself for his idiocy. He was a _Captain_, for heaven's sake! How could he have let his guard down so completely? He had barely managed to twist in time to avoid being impaled. Instead the blade nicked his collarbone and drew a long slice from the left side of his chest across to his arm and shoulder. Blood was trickling down his left side in several steady streams, but thankfully the wound wasn't as deep as it could have been.

Unfortunately, the cut was just deep enough to make that arm almost useless.

The pain was significant, but Hitsugaya was no stranger to such things. He quickly raised his undamaged arm and clutched the ruined sleeve tightly, wrenching his hand down and tearing the cloth off, ignoring the pain as he cast the black and white fabrics aside. With the useless sleeve out of the way, the young Captain steeled himself against the pain and reached over his uninjured shoulder for the blade resting on his back. Once the hilt was firmly in his grasp Hitsugaya tore Hyourinmaru from its sheathe and charged the stranger before him.

The Captain's _rietsu_ flared in time with his opponent as their blades struck, rippling through the air and dropping the temperature nearly a dozen degrees. Sparks flew into the oncoming night as the sky continued to darken, and Hitsugaya found himself equally matched by the man that had so shamefully attacked him while he was unawares.

After a few quick clashes the combatants separated, taking measure of each other.

And Hitsugaya had to admit that his opponent was good.

Very good.

Far too good to be some home-brewed conspirator.

"Who are you?"

"My time came and went long before you took up that blade. Even if I were to tell you my name, it would mean nothing to you."

"That wasn't an answer."

"True enough. Very well, my name is Minamoto. I am here on the orders of Yatsufusa, and someday the Soul Society will thank me at my grave for what we do here today."

"Why would the Soul Society thank you for _destroying it_!"

"Destroy? You misunderstand… We do not wish to _destroy_ the Soul Society. We wish to _save it_."

With that the interrogation ended as the traitorous Soul Reaper lunged forward, attacking the injured Captain with a flurry of quick jabs. Hitsugaya twisted and parried awkwardly, trying to ignore the pain that flared up every time he used his left arm to maneuver his Zanpaktou into position.

Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, the young Captain wished he were just a little bigger or that Hyourinmaru were just a little _smaller. _The sword was too large for him to wield effectively with only one arm, but the effort of bracing the blade with his left hand had him swallowing a hiss of pain every time. The young Captain quickly realized that he couldn't counterattack with such a debilitating injury, and every second he wasted on this _Minamoto_ person was a second he couldn't afford to spare.

The rest of the conspirators were still out there.

And he still had to warn Ichigo.

He had to end this.

_Now_.

Begrudgingly, Hitsugaya swallowed a grunt of pain as he parried one of Minamoto's thrusts before pushing forward with all his might as he prepared to shunpo to a safer distance.

The ploy worked as the conspirator flinched long enough for the Captain to get a few good yards between them, and before Minamoto could respond and close the distance Hitsugaya lifted his Zanpaktou up into the air…

"_Reign over the frosted heavens…_"

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

"That's…"

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Toshiro?"

"What's he doing here?"

"I think he's fighting someone…"

"Why…?"

Even though it was distorted, everyone noticed the steadily climbing _rietsu _coming from the sky to the south and the deepening chill in the air. It wasn't hard for the spiritually aware teens and the now very alert Soul Reapers to gather that something was up.

Something big.

Before anyone could stop him Ichigo had pulled out a small green pill from one of his pockets, quickly popping it into his mouth.

Several voices of protest erupted from his friends as the Substitute Soul Reaper's soul was jettisoned out of his body, being replaced with the Mod Soul, Kon.

They were supposed to be on _vacation_.

They were _supposed_ to trust the Soul Society to handle things for a change.

But in true Ichigo fashion, the moment there was trouble everything gets dropped in favor of jumping right into the middle of it.

The Substitute Soul Reaper started heading towards the fight without a moment's hesitation, and after a few grumbles of annoyance the group split into two as the fighters separated from the non-combatants. Rukia and Renji left their _gigais_ with Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizruo and Kon before racing to catch up with Chad and Uryu, who went on ahead, and Orihime, who refused to stay behind.

As Tatsuki watched them go she remembered what it had been like to be introduced to their _extracurricular activities._ At first she thought it was pretty cool that her best friends were kind of like closet superheroes.

But after a year of watching them run around fighting monsters she couldn't help but wonder how much longer they could last.

Especially Ichigo.

Out of everyone there he was the one that had the most to juggle. He was human, but he was a Soul Reaper too. It was like he was trapped between two different worlds but was unwilling to choose one over the other.

And it was taking a toll.

Ichigo slept a lot; every chance he got, in fact. Between the Hollows that foolishly invaded Karakura, the occasional training session and homework the Substitute hardly ever got a full night's sleep. Despite that Ichigo always tried to make time for them, his friends, even though he should probably be at home in bed instead.

It was like he was forcing himself to live two different lives at once, but only had enough time for one.

She honestly didn't know how much longer he could keep that up.

But he seemed determined to try…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Rui watched with relief as his target peeled off from the rest of the group that he had been associating with, heading towards Minamoto and into a more remote area.

The conspirator licked his lips nervously.

He had to get it right the first time.

If he missed…there wouldn't be a second chance.

* * *

**I've never really done a swordfight before, so I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants here.**

**...**

**... You know, for someone who likes Ichigo so much, it's kinda ironic that the first actual _fight_ that I do is with _Hitsugaya_.**

**Which is funny, because Toshiro isn't in my top five favorite Bleach characters.**

**I'm not sure if he's even in my top ten.**

**Don't get me wrong… I like the guy, but I'm not 'fan-girl giddy' about him.**

**Still, one must give props where props are due.**

'**Cause Toshiro's Bankai is still epic.**

**I just wish it wasn't **_**spammed**_** so much.**

**The only person that uses Bankai more than Hitsugaya is Ichigo.**

**Then again, Ichigo may as well have **_**perma-Bankai **_**at this point…**

**And there's not a damn thing wrong with that.**

**...**

**On a side note, this is the longest chapter so far.**

**But it is _not_ the longest in the series.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Months they spent together. _

_More than a few, but not quite a year. _

_Always where she went he followed. _

_Friends came to visit. _

_Family came to visit. _

_All left the same. _

_With pity in their eyes._

_With guilt in their eyes._

_With fear in their eyes._

_But not her. _

_He watched her, supported her as best he could._

_Never did she look at him with pity._

_Never did she look at him with guilt._

_Never did she look at him with fear._

_**He was damaged, not broken, and she understood.**_

_She let him work._

_She let him help._

_She treated him as she always had. _

_She accepted him unconditionally._

_He grew to love her for it…_

* * *

Captain Kuchiki's eye's imperceptibly narrowed.

He had managed to find a small clearing in the woods just outside of town that was littered with devices and contraptions that could only have come from the Soul Society, but something wasn't right. Obviously this place had been set up as a distraction. No one was here, and there was just enough residual _rietsu_ to lure him here, but not enough to track them to their new location.

The situation was quite vexing.

Then the stoic noble felt one of his fellow Captains release his Shikai.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

"… _Hyourinmaru!"_

Minamoto realized only too late that the sudden charge the young Captain before him had performed was only a feint. When Toshiro Hitsugaya jumped back and called out to his Zanpaktou the conspirator knew that he had made a very costly error in allowing his opponent to put some distance between them.

The temperature dropped again, only this time instead of just getting _slightly_ colder the air around the combatants fell to well below freezing, growing dry as the moisture was drawn away. The very air Minamoto breathed suddenly grew sharp and crisp, biting with cold and frost.

The conspirator had fought many battles in his long career as a Soul Reaper of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but none of them could have prepared him for the ferocity of Hyourinmaru.

Hitsugaya did his best to conceal a grunt of pain as he swung his blade down. The moisture in the air froze at his command, taking on the familiar form of a mighty dragon of ice. Using his Shikai one-handed wasn't as effective as his normal two-handed approach, so his attack fell more slowly than it should have.

But it lost none of its raw power.

Hyourinmaru's draconic visage lunged for Minamoto, and the conspirator belatedly realized that he had best get the hell out of the way. His dodge came only seconds too late, allowing the Captain's Zanpaktou to freeze his right side from shoulder to hip.

Never before had Minamoto experiences such biting cold. The flesh where the ice dragon had touched was completely numb and unresponsive, but where the unfeeling flesh met the rest of his body there was an intense burning sensation as though a fire had been lit between the frozen and unfrozen parts. Minamoto quickly raised his spiritual pressure as high as he could manage, trying to force out as much of the foreign _rietsu_ as possible in an effort to unfreeze himself. He was only marginally successful as most, but not all, of his right side suddenly erupted into sharp needles.

Satisfied at having at least partially recovered, the conspirator quickly re-aligned his gaze to the Captain before him and shivered uncontrollably, but not just from the cold.

Captain Hitsugaya had raised his sword again.

And Minamoto was in no condition to dodge.

The conspirator looked into his opponent's eyes and nodded his assent. Hitsugaya was young, but Minamoto knew that he had earned his place as Squad Ten Captain. The boy was determined and loyal: he would serve the Soul Society well in the centuries to come.

Dying by his hand was acceptable.

Minamoto had made his peace with his fate, but before the blade could fall a shockwave of raw spiritual pressure struck them both. The sudden burst of energy knocked the wind out of the two combatants, who quickly forgot about each other as they felt the very air begin to _seethe_…

The conspirator came to his sense first as he stretched his senses through the writhing mass of power and just barely managed to feel out the retreating _rietsu_ of his companion, Rui, heading in the direction of the _Schism's_ clearing.

That could only mean one thing.

Rui had succeeded.

Otherwise, he'd be dead.

With one last glance back to the Captain that had nearly killed him, Minamoto mentally tipped his hat to the young man before Shunpo-ing after his comrade as quickly as his injured body could take him.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya swallowed nervously, trying to decide whether he should chase after the fleeing Minamoto or find out what happened down on the ground. After all, he'd recognized that spiritual pressure; by now just about everyone knew it. It was heavy and firm, bright like the sun and searing hot to the senses, but belied a hint of dark, writhing malice.

It was Ichigo Kurosaki.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

The Substitute Soul Reaper had been so focused on getting to the fight so he could help that he didn't even notice how he'd rushed out of sight of his friends. He wasn't quite using Shunpo, but at the rate he was going nothing short of it could catch him. So when Ichigo barely felt the burst of energy commonly associated with the various speed techniques he'd just figured that one of his friends had gotten tired of lagging behind.

That is, until a burst of pain exploded from his back.

His reaction to the assault was instinctual. Ichigo's spiritual pressure skyrocketed as he reached for Zangetsu, grasping the hilt and barely unwrapping the sash that served as the blade's sheathe before swinging the gargantuan Zanpaktou out, forcing the unknown assailant back and away from the teen's blind-spot. Turning to face his attacker, Ichigo was almost dumbfounded to find a _Soul Reaper_ drawing his sword and preparing for a charge.

As the man rushed in blade first and the Substitute quickly blocked, locking the blades together in a battle of strength. The teen had half a mind to chew this guy's head off for assaulting him from behind like that, but before he could demand to know what the _hell_ was going on Ichigo realized that whatever this Soul Reaper had first attacked with was still _stuck_ in him.

The pain from the injury was starting to make itself known, and concern and confusion quickly turned to annoyance as Ichigo stepped forward with his right foot and used his weight and brute strength to pull his arms around, swinging Zangetsu in an arc that sent the stranger flying. With his opponent momentarily out of the way, Ichigo reached back without really thinking, grabbed whatever it was that was sticking out of him, and ripped it out.

The teen immediately felt light-headed as he drew the object before him. It wasn't a proper weapon, just a strange cylinder with four sharp prongs on one end. For some reason that angered the Substitute as he flung the object away in disgust, letting it come to rest near a tree a few dozen feet away.

By this time his assailant had recovered, preparing to charge again despite the long crack that had formed in his Zanpaktou from blocking Ichigo's earlier strike. The teen stood his ground while ignoring the odd woozy feeling he had, but was surprised and only further confused when his opponent actually Shunpoed _away_ from him… and to the odd cylinder he'd just cast aside.

By then Ichigo's friends had finally managed to catch up, and Rui realized that he needed to get going before one of them realizes what he's up to. Fighting Ichigo Kurosaki had been one of the riskiest parts of the entire operation, but thankfully the teen hesitated upon seeing his opponent was a Soul Reaper and not a Hollow. The conspirator quickly scooped up the canister now holding nearly an entire _Captain's_ worth of Ichigo Kurosaki's Spiritual Pressure before sparing one last glance back to the confused Substitute, sending him a wolfish smile before disappearing in a fit of Shunpo.

Ichigo stubbornly tried to follow the Soul Reaper that had the audacity to attack him and then take off, but quickly realized that chasing after the coward wasn't an option. The teen swooned on the spot, and if it wasn't for his arms quickly impaling Zangetsu into the ground and using the blade for leverage the Substitute would have fallen to the ground.

Taking in a shuddering breath while trying to collect himself, Ichigo looked up to see his friends quickly closing in on him, and he ground his teeth before swallowing his pride for what he was about to do. In his current condition Ichigo knew he wasn't going anywhere right now.

But he wasn't the only fighter in the group.

"ISHIDA! RENJI! Go after him! _NOW_!"

For a moment the Quincy and the Squad Six Lieutenant paused, stunned by the commanding tone in Ichigo's voice. Neither was used to the teen actually giving _orders_, so they stood their stupidly for a second before Uryu shook his head and examined Ichigo more closely.

And what he found scared him.

The Quincy grabbed the sleeve of Renji's shihakusho and dragged him in the direction the rogue Soul Reaper had fled in. Whatever that man had done to the Substitute, it had drained him of so much power that the teen could barely stand. Furthermore, the fact that he had fled means that killing Ichigo was not his objective. That Soul Reaper probably had a use for all of that extracted power…

And that could not possibly be good.

As the two more mobile members of their group began pursuing Ichigo's attacker, the teen himself was quickly finding standing to be more and more difficult. Before he could pass out Orihime got close enough to begin healing him, much to the Substitute's relief. The wound itself was minimal, a work of mere seconds, but the more debilitating injury had been to his spiritual pressure. So much had been drained that Ichigo couldn't keep himself from panting.

And then Toshiro Hitsugaya arrived.

The Captain was a sorry sight indeed. His left sleeve was gone and there was an angry line of red beneath where the cloth was rent. Where the wound had been bleeding there were now streams of frozen blood flaking off with every movement, the injury no longer leaking thanks to the frost covering the gash. He was in obvious pain, but somehow keeping it suppressed as he quickly strode towards the group of concerned friends.

Ichigo winced at the injured Captain before gently glaring up to Orihime, nodding his head in the direction of their hurt friend. The healer hesitated for a moment, worry in her eyes, before swallowing it down and nodding her assent. Shuno and Ayame immediately released the only half recovered Ichigo from Souten Kishun before reforming it around Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Right now, the Captain needed it more.

* * *

**Oh my…**

**We've hit the half-way point.**

**Only Ten Chapters remain.**

…

**By the way… does anyone else think the word sanguine is pretty?**


	11. Chapter 11

_The War began. _

_The dead besieged by monsters of the White Sands. _

_He fought. _

_Still stronger than most._

_Perhaps all._

_**But his power had waned. **_

_He knew._

_He was a shadow of what he should be. _

_But he continued to fight._

_To stay near her._

_To protect her._

_She was safe, but it was not enough. _

_The walls fell._

_The siege was broken…_

* * *

Minamoto quickly caught up to Rui, who was shunpo-ing through the wooded areas, trying to throw off his pursuers. For a moment the conspirator nearly panicked when he caught sight of a flash of bright color ducking between the trees, fearing that Ichigo Kurosaki has retained enough spiritual pressure to give chase. His fears were quickly alleviated when the brush cleared long enough for the swordsman to get a better look at the men slowly catching up to his comrade.

The first he recognized as Renji Abarai; a Soul Reaper and seated officer of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He was the only Lieutenant that could be considered famous, primarily for his association with the 'Substitute Soul Reaper' Ichigo Kurosaki himself. Running alongside him was a thin man that Minamoto vaguely recognized from the reports they had been able to… confiscate. If the information was correct then the boy was a Quincy. Minamoto remembered the massacre that occurred centuries ago. It was not one of the Soul Societies shining moments, but the job was done thoroughly and the conspirator honestly hadn't thought that even a single one of that particular subset of humanity remained.

He was quickly proved wrong because at that particular moment the pursuing human conjured what Minamoto presumed was his bow, firing an arrow of spirit particles at Rui. The projectile missed, but only just, grazing the fleeing Soul Reaper's arm.

The Quincy was a problem. Minamoto had no doubt that Rui could escape Abarai, after all the man was not known for his speed, but the human possessed projectile attacks. He wouldn't have to overtake Rui. He just had to keep up long enough to make one of the arrows hit home. The longer they ran around, the greater the chance that the Quincy would get a solid hit in and that would be the end of it.

Worse still, the spiritual pressure in the air was climbing. Even the strange blanketing over the town that seemed to be suppressing and distorting _rietsu_ had begun to fail. If this kept up much longer the forces sent by the Soul Society would notice the conflict, and Rui would have worse than a Lieutenant and a Quincy on his trail.

His fellow conspirator needed to get out of the thicket and back to Yatsufusa and the clearing immediately.

Weighing his options, and pointedly ignoring the dull, tingling ache that persisted from his short scuffle with Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, Minamoto made a decision. Quickly and silently he drew his blade and quickly descended upon the woodlands…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

The remaining conspirators waited within the _Schism's_ clearing, each in varying states of excitement and distress.

They had all felt the massive pulse of _rietsu_ that had erupted from the direction Rui had been sent. They had heard of the raw, unbridled power of Ichigo Kurosaki, but that could not prepare them for feeling it first-hand. Even at such a distance, Usagi and Kimiko thought they would be burned alive by such strength.

And Yatsufusa noticed.

The grand conspirator himself had been considering things ever since he felt that blinding surge of energy. It was much stronger than he anticipated, and he feared that draining a Captain's-worth of _rietsu_ from the boy might not actually _stop_ him. Couple that with the fact that he had been surrounded by his own comrades and the Soul Society had sent _three_ Captains as reinforcements…

Yatsufusa was forced to admit that despite how well everything had gone so far there was almost no chance of fulfilling their quest without resorting to their last defensive measure.

Standing up to his full height, the man responsible for this grand venture turned to his remaining comrades and gave them one final instruction.

He told them to go home.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

The amber glow of Souten Kishun faded, and Toshiro Hitsugaya was amazed.

He was completely healed.

He had heard about how Orihime's healing and restorative abilities had improved over the past year, but he had no idea it had been to this extent. The wound in his shoulder was completely gone, and his Shihakusho was repaired and cleansed of blood, as though the Captain had never actually incurred the injury.

And all in around twenty seconds.

Before Captain Hitsugaya could marvel at how much the young girl had improved everyone suddenly felt the din of increased spiritual pressure consistant with the scale of combat Hitsugaya himself had participated in only minutes earlier. Shaking himself out of his stupor, the young Captain turned to the Substitute Soul Reaper and noticed how the teen was panting lightly.

Which was strange.

"Kurosaki, what happened here?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped back up to Hitsugaya before he took a steadying breath and explained the attack, the strange weapon, and the Soul Reaper that fled with it. The young Captain thought this over quickly before realizing that the worst possible scenario had occurred. Fear gripped him for a moment before forcing it down with a vengeance. Hitsugaya didn't have time to be afraid.

The friends gathered before the momentarily panicked Captain grew very concerned at the frightened look in his eyes. In the end it was Orihime that broke the momentary silence, much to everyone's relief.

"Is it bad?"

The Captain looked up at the young girl, startled for a moment before finally regaining his composure. He quickly breathed in a sigh before collecting his thoughts. First things first, he needed to assess the situation.

"How much do you know about what's happened?"

"Not a damn thing."

Ichigo's reply was quick and sharp, and Hitsugaya had to wince at that. If there was one thing the Captain had learned since getting to know the Substitute Soul Reaper, it was that he hated being kept in the dark. Before he could reply, however, Hitsugaya belatedly noticed a second, and _familiar_, raised spiritual pressure fighting in the direction Ichigo had indicated sending Uryu Ishida and Lieutenant Abarai.

It was Minamoto.

And then the Captain remembered that they were on a deadline.

"Kurosaki, something _has_ happened, something big, but we don't have the time to just stand around here and talk about it. If you want to know then follow me and I'll explain on the way."

With a nod of ascent from the group in general, and a mild scowl from Ichigo himself, Captain Hitsugaya began running in the direction of the heightened spiritual pressure. Everyone fell into step around the young Captain as he began relating to them all that had occurred to lead up to this current incident.

Off to the side none of them notice that Ichigo, exhausted and drained, was panting heavily and could just barely keep up the pace…

* * *

**Cliffhanger's galore here!**

**Things start to come together in the next few chapters.**

**Also, I've realized that for all of my Math prowess, I can't count for shit.**

**I originally thought there were 20 chapters and one to two epilogues, but then I recounted (like, **_**five**_** times) only to realize that there were **_**18**_** chapters and one to two epilogues. So I had a dilemma. I could either fess up and say the story was going to be shorter or I could re-examine the later chapters and try to add a few more.**

**So be glad, because I decided to do the latter.**

**I still haven't decided if I want to do the second epilogue or not. I'll tell you more about it when we get past the 'curve ball' I keep talking about.**

**Which is only three chapters away…**


	12. Chapter 12

_They were taken from the war._

_A temporary reprieve. _

_The Afterlife was lost. _

_The Living was lost._

_**They had failed in their appointed task.**_

_All that remained were a handful of survivors._

_All brought to defend the last Bastion._

_They were among the rescued._

_Two Kings met, and they understood what was to come._

_Two weeks passed._

_They healed their wounds._

_They mourned their dead._

_He spent the time with her._

_It was all they would be granted._

_For they knew, this was the end…_

* * *

When Minamoto's lunged out of the darkness that had finally settled over flat woodlands, seeking to disable if not outright kill the slim, dark-haired boy he knew to be a Quincy, he had hoped the element of surprise would offer him some advantage.

He was sorely mistaken.

As his blade lunged at the teen, Minamoto suddenly found only air where he should have contacted skin and muscle. His mind quickly registered what had happened, but it was too late as a flash of light burst out of the shadows to his side. Instinctively the conspirator rolled to the left, the arrow gashing his wounded shoulder as it passed by, before shunpo-ing to where Rui had stopped at the edge of the small clearing.

There was no conversation between the two conspirators. The look Minamoto sent to Rui told him everything he needed to know, and without a moment's hesitation the younger Soul Reaper continued his race to Yatsufusa and the _Schism_, leaving Minamoto to deal with his pursuers.

With the canister on its way again, the remaining conspirator immediately began rushing towards the Quincy a second time in the hopes of goading the boy into attacking him and forgetting about Rui.

And again he was unsuccessful as a blade neatly parried his own.

"Ishida, keep going. I've got this one."

Renji Abarai kept the conspirator's blade locked with his own as he paid the briefest of glances to the Quincy beside him. The Lieutenant's normal wolfish-smile was gone, as was his jovial bravado. In its place was a stony mask, his stern façade and steady voice belying the budding rage within.

Uryu didn't need to be told twice. This was apparently a Soul Reaper matter, which didn't concern him anyway. Right now the only thing the Quincy was worried about was stopping the man that had attacked Ichigo, drained him of an alarming amount of power, and finding some answers.

Minamoto was forced to watch as the Quincy ran on, chasing after Rui. The Lieutenant before him was stronger and faster than he had anticipated. Just as Uryu vanished from sight Minamoto seriously began to consider giving chase, if only to buy Rui some more time.

Those thoughts were quickly dashed, however, when the pressure suddenly exploded around him.

Renji quickly maneuvered his blade around as he turned to the right, sweeping his arms out to force the traitorous Soul Reaper back, placing himself between his opponent and the direction his companion had fled. The Squad Six Lieutenant was well and truly angry, and he wasn't about to let this insulting man escape.

Minamoto tried to ignore the pain from his previous injuries as he regained his balance and took up a defensive stance, but Renji was no fool. He knew the man before him was hurt, and normally honor would bind him into holding back because of it.

But this was different.

"My name," He began with barely contained fury, "Is Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Don't bother telling me your name. Cowards like _you_ shouldn't be remembered."

Minamoto bristled at the insult before involuntarily stepping back as Renji's _rietsu_ exploded outward.

"Cowards like _you_," He continued, "Should be dealt with without mercy."

With that, the Squad Six Lieutenant was engulfed in searing red energy, for a moment bathing the area in blinding light.

Renji was beyond angry. He had no idea who these traitors were, but he refused to acknowledge them as Soul Reapers. They attacked from the shadows, trying to pick off the weak or the unaware, and when they were caught in the act they ran. It was insulting to the Lieutenant that men like these existed. They had hurt his friend, but more importantly they had sullied the honor of the Soul Society and Soul Reapers everywhere.

It was with these thoughts that Renji Abarai said one short word that sent the pit out of Minamoto's stomach.

"_Bankai."_

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

As Captain Hitsugaya finished apprising the group of the situation the atmosphere grew dark and heavy. The young Captain hated to be the bearer of bad news, especially since he had failed in his responsibility to protect Ichigo from these conspirators, but they needed to know just how serious the situation really was.

Quiet reigned and everyone was tense as they ran along, chasing after the rising spiritual pressure of Renji Abarai. They were all nervous, and trying especially hard to ignore the fact that Ichigo would stumble on occasion, and was barely keeping up.

So when the Substitute himself broke the silence, he had everyone's full attention.

"Inoue."

"Ah… yes?"

"Can you use Souten Kishun while running?"

Several stunned glances fell to the puffing healer as she ran alongside everyone. She looked to Ichigo owlishly before realizing what he meant and stuttering out an answer.

"I-I don't know. I've never tried before…"

Ichigo didn't say anything, but the look on his face was all the reply she needed. Even though he was tired, even though he was drained, Ichigo still had that _fire_. The defiance blazed in his eyes despite the dire circumstances, as if screaming to the healer that anything is possible, and he wasn't about to give up yet, and that she shouldn't either.

Nodding her head in understanding, hope blooming in her heart thanks to Ichigo's determination, Orihime quickly amended her previous statement.

"I'll try."

Ichigo sent Orihime a grateful look before focusing on running again as the familiar orange glow enveloped him. He'd hid it well, but deep down the Substitute had a terrible feeling that he was going to need every ounce of strength available to him before the night was through.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Yatsufusa stood before an odd machine situated within the center of a large glen, the immediate area surrounded by small, cube-like devices much like the ones they used in Hueco Mundo to hide their presence from Hollows and their fellow Soul Reapers.

It had taken some convincing, but Usagi and Kimiko finally agreed to retreat to the Soul Society. Their identities had not yet been compromised, and so it was still possible for them to return to their previous lives without consequence. With any luck, the two of them together will be able to steer the Seireitei to a better, brighter future, even if Yatsufusa himself may not be there to see it.

So enamored was he in contemplating their collective fate that Yatsufusa almost missed Rui entering the clearing, a hail of bright spirit arrows chasing him relentlessly. His pursuer was close, and Rui knew that he would never beat the Quincy to the defensive measures Yatsufusa had put into place. He'd had a feeling that the boy chasing him was holding back, and now that the goal was in sight he was fairly certain that he was about to experience the full brunt of the Quincy's power.

In a last desperate attempt to complete his mission, Rui did the unthinkable.

He threw the canister.

And Yatsufusa caught it.

Not a moment later Rui turned and drew his sword just in time to attempt to block the next wave of arrows fired from the infuriating Quincy that had doggedly kept pace with him through his race back to the clearing. As he air cleared Rui saw the boy show himself at the edge of the clearing, and the conspirator's annoyed growl quickly turned to a smirk of satisfaction as he felt the defenses behind him come to life.

The moment Yatsufusa had the canister within the circle he activated all of the boxes surrounding him, creating a barrier so powerful that even a Captain couldn't penetrate it. As soon as the defenses were up, the conspirator wasted no time in inserting the power source, Ichigo Kurosaki's stolen _rietsu_, into the machine designed for the sole purpose of opening the _Schism_. As the machination slowly hummed to life, Yatsufusa heard a voice within the clearing; a voice he had desperately hoped wouldn't catch up to him.

"Uryu Ishida, stand down. This does not concern you."

The Quincy himself didn't need to look to know who had addressed him, and why. That was a voice he would never forget, and as much as he hated to admit it the man frightened him. Begrudgingly, Uryu complied with the newcomer's wishes, for a moment feeling truly sorry for what was about to happen to the men before him.

"Yatsufusa Imihiro, former Delegate of the Chambers of the Central Forty Six, you are here-by charged with Treason, Conspiracy, the attempted release of a convicted criminal, and the attempted false imprisonment of an ally of the Soul Society. The punishment for such crimes is Death."

The man to whom the voice belonged stepped out of the shadows, never once looking away from the traitor before him, and yet never truly looking _at_ him. His cold gaze belied a closely guarded anger that seethed just beneath the surface, and his next words were punctuated by the rasp of drawing steel.

"Furthermore, you have dishonored both the Kuchiki Clan and the Seireitei itself, sins that I will not overlook. Prepare yourself, Yatsufusa Imihiro, for you will not live to see your trial."

A single blade slowly came free of its sheathe before methodically coming to bear, and the next two words to fill the air struck fear deep into the hearts of conspirator and spectator alike.

"Scatter, Se_nbonzakur_a."

* * *

**Oh boy.**

**Okay, say it with me now!**

**Rui and Minamoto are screwed.**

**As for the rest, you'll just have to wait and see ^_^**

**Furthermore, now would be the time to start coming up with theories on how this is going to end, or what my little **_**twist**_** is, cause the next chapter is going to start giving it away, and the chapter after that **_**will**_** give it away.**

**Remember, this is a Tragedy.**

**But every story I write has a happy ending.**

**So… I guess that makes it an oxymoron?**

**Meh…**

**Anyway, I'm gonna play P3P for a little while, then I think I will either do the next chapter for this story, or for The One-Month Experiment, depending on how I'm feeling.**

**Later~**


	13. Chapter 13

**_The battle was joined._**

_It began in an instant._

_It lasted for hours._

_And in an instant, stopped._

_He returned, and knew what he would find._

_She lay slowly dying, toxin in her veins._

_The enemy knew of her gift._

_It was her life they sought._

_They would wait for her death before returning._

_A last sign of respect._

_As she rested, waited, two Kings met again._

_An offer was made._

_A chance to change things._

_A chance to change everything._

_A chance to save them all._

_A chance… to save her._

* * *

In a small candy store, one Captain and one ex-Captain suddenly sat up straight.

Even through the haze Kisuke Urahara had placed over the town was masking spiritual pressure the energy he and Captain Ukitake now felt cut through it as though it were nothing but rice paper. Without a word the pair stood, making for the door.

For the spiritual pressure the felt was that of the Squad Six Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki.

Which could only mean one thing.

Captain Kuchiki had found the conspirators.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

At that particular moment, the stoic noble was well and truly vexed.

For a man of Captain Kuchiki's caliber, crushing the traitorous Soul Reaper outside of Yatsufusa's barrier was took no effort. The man was weak, and Senbonzakura barely even noticed his presence as its brilliant display of power ripped through fool's flesh.

The barrier itself, however, was proving to be quite a problem.

Try as he might, Senbonzakura's power simply wasn't enough to pierce the shell that protected Yatsufusa from the Captain's wrath. The more he struck, the more he impenetrable he found the membrane to be.

Allowing himself a small growl of annoyance, Byakuya Kuchiki quickly withdrew his blade, allowing the elegant display of death to return to its more humble form before holding it aloft once more, the tip pointed to the ground.

"It seems you leave me no choice…"

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

The battle between Minamoto and Renji Abarai could hardly be called that.

Minamoto attempted to dodge the deceptively swift Hihio Zabimaru, but the effort was futile. The massive serpentine Zanpaktou was too powerful for the conspirator to even try to block, and its speed kept him constantly on the defensive with no hopes of counter-attacking. It was a battle of attrition, and one he was destined to lose.

Sure enough, a swift feint to the left caught Minamoto of guard, and the battle was over. Massive, skeletal jaws clamped down on soft flesh, and as blood began to seep out of the deep punctures now filled with sharp teeth in his stomach and chest the beast's maw crashed into the ground, taking Minamoto with it.

When the dust finally cleared the conspirator lay on the ground, bleeding with vigor and either dead or unconscious.

Renji wasted no time in dismissing his Bankai, sheathing his Zanpaktou before rushing off in the direction Uryu had left in. At some point during his battle with Minamoto Renji had noticed his Captain's Spiritual Pressure appear in that same direction, and by now the energy he was emitting had increased substantially.

Concerned, and perhaps a little frightened, Renji rushed on until he was suddenly hit by a wave of intense _rietsu_. For a second the Lieutenant stumbled before catching himself, adamantly ignoring the cold twinge in his gut. It was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

It was the feeling he got when Captain Kuchiki released his Bankai.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Before, Captain Kuchiki was vexed.

Now, he was stunned.

Never before had his Bankai failed him so utterly.

The billion blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi struck and struck the barrier before them, only to rebound or slide off. No matter how much force he put into the strikes, nor how many of the razor-sharp slivers of steel he sent at once, the membrane remained undamaged.

The Captain was forced to admit that continuing was futile, and begrudgingly allowed his Zanpaktou to return to its sealed state. Senbonzakura simply lacked the penetrating power necessary to pierce Yatsufusa's barrier. There was nothing the Captain could do at this point. So long as the traitor remained within the membrane, no attack he possesses could touch him.

Frustration finally began to eat away at the stoic noble. Yatsufusa's actions made little sense to him, and even if the barrier prevented those outside from getting in, the reverse was also true. The conspirator could not leave this place without first dropping the barrier, unless he was missing something…

The Captain's eyes narrowed curiously at that line of thought, before allowing his voice to fill the air once again.

"What I do not understand is why you bother to do this. Even if you are successful in freeing the _Schism's_ prisoner, you will both be killed regardless."

"I am aware."

"Then why?"

Yatsufusa looked directly to Byakuya Kuchiki then, and his next words were laced with a bitter sadness.

"It is a terrible thing I do this day, but it must be done. Even before I was removed from my seat on the Central Forty Six I could see the decline. I tried to stop it, I tried to _save _the Soul Society then, but my efforts were for naught. I was deemed too _radical, _and for that I lost my position and my work was left undone. Worse still, the decline I foresaw only worsened over time. The Soul Society is a shadow of what it once was now, and if we, as Soul Reapers, are to fulfill our duties to ensure the salvation of all souls, something must change. Someone must _act_, and if I must be the one to make that sacrifice, to push the Seireitei back on the right track, then I will."

"You speak nonsense. Are you truly arrogant enough to believe that you know better than the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?"

"Not at all. I am not trying to dictate how the Seireitei is run. I am merely reminding the Soul Society that it has become weak, and complacent. Can you not see it, Captain Kuchiki? They sent three Captains to protect a _single_ person in the World of the Living, and they _failed_. I am afraid it is _you_ that has become arrogant."

Byakuya winced at this, for Yatsufusa's words rang true. He knew the moment Senbonzakura Kageyoshi was unable to penetrate the barrier surrounding the traitor that they had all failed in their mission. It had been their responsibility to defend Ichigo Kurosaki from the conspirators and prevent them from opening the _Schism_, and they were unable to do so.

Off to the side, in the midst of the litany, Renji Abarai rejoined the group only to find the situation beyond his comprehension. His confusion, however, went unnoticed as the third member of the group stood, pondering the situation, before posing a more direct query.

"Why Ichigo Kurosaki?"

All eyes suddenly fell to Uryu Ishida, who up until that point had been a quiet spectator.

It was a valid question. According to Yatsufusa's explanation, any of the human's that associated with the forces of the Soul Society would have worked for this plan. Attacking Ichigo Kurosaki actually seemed unnecessarily risky to the Quincy.

Yatsufusa's answer was not what he'd expected.

"You want to know why I went after _that_ one? Very well, I will tell you _why_. It is because he is monster, one that should not have ever existed, and it is high time he was put in a proper cage."

Every word brought greater anger to the Substitute Soul Reaper's allies. Even Byakuya Kuchiki was becoming irritated by Yatsufusa's offending words. However, before any of them could voice their displeasure, the conspirator saw their darkening looks and let out a chuckle of distain before looking each in the eye and continuing, every word biting and laced with disgust.

"You think you know him? You think you _understand _what he _is?_ There is far more to that boy than any of you realize. He isn't human. He isn't a Soul Reaper, but nor is he Hollow. He is an _abomination, _and one we must rid ourselves of if we are to have any hope of salvaging the crumbling Soul Society. We have run the simulations you Captains have been unwilling to contemplate, and they have told us the startling truth. That child's power has not yet _begun_ to wax! We have only seen the barest surface of what he is truly capable of. He will grow, stronger and stronger, and if we do not end him now… If we _allow_ that wretch to reach his full potential… there will be no force in Heaven or Hell great enough to…"

Yatsufusa's sentence died in his throat as a massive, and _familiar_, surge of raw, unbridled _power_ erupted into the clearing as two words rang out into the open air.

"_Getsuga Tensho!"_

* * *

**Well now…**

**Things are starting to get complicated.**

**If you haven't figured out what the twist is by now, you're gonna be out of time soon.**

**Because the beginning of the big reveal is at the end of the next chapter.**

**BE WARNED!**

**If you are emotional or prone to tearing up, the last few chapters are gonna be **_**hell**_** for you. Bring tissues, and make sure you're by yourself when you read, because I will tell you right now, just **_**writing**_** some of these scenes makes me snivel like a little baby. :_:**

**And I hope you people (gender respectful) enjoy the extra chapter that you got today, even if it is a little bit shorter than some of the others.**

**Later~**


	14. Chapter 14

_She gave him a gift, with the last of her strength._

_The Two that were most precious to her._

_The two that guided her through the centuries._

_The two that guided her to him._

_Within each; a message._

_A gift._

_Their Will._

_She told him then, just before the end._

_Where he should go._

_What he should do._

_He agreed, and waited for her to leave him behind._

_Grey eyes, once so full of hope, shimmered with sorrow._

_And closed for the last time._

_Beside her, he could not speak._

_And he could not cry._

_**He watched silently as their world ended.**_

_She was gone._

_And outside, the last defenders fell._

_The city was breached._

_Silently, he took up his blade._

_And silently, he left them behind._

_He left them to their deaths._

_He left, to save them all…_

* * *

A black, searing wave of energy charged through the clearing, colliding solidly with the barrier that protected Yatsufusa and, more importantly, the machine that had whirred to life. For a moment the conspirator watched in morbid fascination as the membrane shuddered under weight of such a powerful assault, but the barrier held. As the dark energy began to recede, Yatsufusa remembered to breathe as he looked back out into the night.

There he found Ichigo Kurosaki, standing just within the clearing, the boy having shed his Shikai in favor for what Yatsufusa knew was his Bankai. The slim Kosode and pitch-black blade were just as the reports described, and Yatsufusa barely suppressed a shiver. The conspirator would not have believed that such a tiny Bankai could be so powerful had he not just seen it for himself. The ground around where the barrier stood was cracked and burned from where Ichigo Kurosaki's Getsuga Tensho spread out when it failed to penetrate the membrane.

The teen himself walked further into the clearing, quickly followed by his allies and Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. Everyone was shocked that even Ichigo's attack failed. The Black Getsuga was widely considered to be the group's single most powerful offensive force, and even that wasn't enough to pierce the barrier protecting Yatsufusa Imihiro.

Ichigo had decided to use his Bankai purely out of reflex. As soon as Orihime had managed to restore most of the teen's Spiritual Pressure he had rushed off to, for lack of a better word, _help_ Byakuya Kuchiki. Everyone had felt the release of the Captain's Bankai, only to be further perplexed when it was almost just as suddenly resealed.

And now Ichigo knew why. Byakuya's Bankai couldn't penetrate the barrier, so he decided to conserve his energy and wait instead.

Ichigo ground his teeth at that. If _Byakuya_ couldn't get through…

"Ah, so the _abomination_ arrives!"

Ichigo's head snapped up to meet eyes that were both amused and dismissive and returned the look with a glare as his blood boiled with memories of a certain _other_ traitor, and when the teen responded he didn't bother trying to hide the anger in his voice.

"I take it _you're_ the jerk responsible for messing up my day?"

"I suppose that is one way to put it. I am Yatsufusa Imihiro, and you are Ichigo Kurosaki, a monster that needs to be tamed."

Ichigo bristled at the insult, but held his anger down as he glared daggers at Yatsufusa. The Substitute's friends watched him with concern as they collectively took a few steps back. They knew all too well that the only thing more dangerous than Ichigo Kurosaki was an angry Ichigo Kurosaki.

The teen managed to calm himself a bit, but when he spoke next his voice was still laced with frustration and barely contained rage.

"Why the hell are you doing this? Did I do something to piss you off or something?"

"It's nothing personal, I assure you."

"Then _why!_"

"To save the Soul Society."

"What are you talking about? The Soul Society is fine! It doesn't _need _saving!"

"Wrong. The Soul Society _does _need to be saved… from _you_."

"Wha…?"

"Make no mistake _boy_. No matter how good you think your intentions are, sooner or later you _will_ turn on the Soul Society. Someday you will start to wonder. Wonder if you can really trust the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Wonder if you should listen to them when you are obviously so much stronger than they are. You'll start to wonder if maybe it shouldn't be _you_ making the decisions, and not _them_. Then you will think to yourself 'Why not?', and you will act on those musings. You will stand against the authority of the Soul Society, rend it asunder, and rebuild it as _you_ see fit, and no one will be powerful enough to stop you. Before that happens I will... "

"_SHUT UP!"_

Yatsufusa paused in shock before taking stock of the boy before him, and belatedly realized that he had made a grave error. Ichigo Kurosaki no longer bothered trying to reign in his anger, and now his eyes shone with a malicious light that made the conspirator shiver and thank whatever gods of fate there were that he was _inside_ the barrier, and not out there where the boy could get to him.

His thoughts were shattered, however, when Ichigo's voice rang loudly into the clearing, saturated with clearly undisguised rage and determination.

"I'm sick and tired of listening to you blabber on about things I _might_ or might _not _do. You think you _know_ me? News-Flash, pal! You don't know a damn _thing_ about me, and as soon as I rip that barrier down I'm gonna beat you to a bloody pulp!"

"Really? My defensive measures were designed to keep out even the strongest of Captains. How do _you_ plan on breaking through?"

Yatsufusa held a smug smile on his face, trying to put up a strong front despite the fear he felt, but it quickly evaporated as wolfish, _predatory_ grin wound its way onto Ichigo's lips.

"You said that barrier can hold back a _Captain, _right? Well_…_"

Ichigo's hand rose from its place at his side, and Yatsufusa's eyes widened as he felt the Substitute's power seethe and broil and _change_. As the appendage found its way to the front of the boy's face the _rietsu_ that just moments ago felt bright like the sun dipped and warped. That tiny, almost undetectable hint of malice and bloodlust surged forth, enveloping everything in a dark, searing heat.

And when Ichigo Kurosaki's hand pulled down across his face as though tearing the very air before him, the oppressive energy coalesced before exploding outwards. The air teemed with desire: the desire to fight, to maim, and to _destroy._ It seeped into everyone and everything in the suffocating atmosphere, and even those accustomed to the darker powers of the Substitute Soul Reaper were forced to fight the desire to run as an instinctive fear began to grip their hearts.

"**It's a good thing I'm a **_**monster**_** then, isn't it?**"

Yatsufusa stared in horror as the boy, his eyes shimmering golden upon pools of impenetrable darkness and his face now concealed by the bone-white mask that he had only heard reports of, raised his Zanpaktou into the air a second time. Unlike before, however, the blade did not fall immediately. Instead Ichigo held that position, pouring more and more energy into the black steel, and as the power and the pressure grew Yatsufusa knew with a sickening clarity that this time he would break through.

And sure enough, just as Ichigo felt that Tensa Zangetsu couldn't take any more _rietsu_, the Substitute swung his blade down, his quite muttering of Getsuga Tensho lost in the calamitous surge of destruction that flowed from the tip of his Zanpaktou. The vaporizing black wave crashed mercilessly into the barrier, and within seconds the membrane buckled, shattering and collapsing into millions of tiny shards as the Black Getsuga continued forward, striking the machine that stood mere feet from a petrified Yatsufusa.

The following explosion sent the conspirator flying before he crashed to the ground at the feet Captain Ukitake and Kisuke Urahara, who had arrived just in time to see the aftermath of Ichigo Kurosaki's wrath.

Unfortunately, it came only moments too late.

For as the dark energy began to clear, a deep, grating, _tearing_ sound permeated the clearing. All eyes rose to the air where the machine had once stood as the dimensions blurred, and then ripped, revealing a deep, dark, swirling _void_.

And within that void, that Vortex, a lone figure stepped forth…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Far above the conflict below, masked by the deep dark of the moonless night, another, smaller tear in the fabric of reality rent the barrier between dimensions asunder.

And, like below, a figure strode from the empty chasm behind him. He entered the crisp air, the wind catching the tattered hem of his long coat. The world around him hardly even noticed his existence, and the only indication that something was there other than the evening sky was the light clinking of a black metal chain as it swayed in the breeze.

The figure shifted as he looked down to the earth, scanning the terrain before letting his abyssal eyes settle upon a small clearing.

Subconsciously he gripped his left hand a little tighter, feeling two small objects shift ever so slightly in his fisted palm.

And as he stood in the empty night, patiently, he watched the familiar scene below him unfold…

* * *

**Oh yes.**

**I went **_**THERE**_**.**

**God, this chapter made me shiver.**

**But writing the next one is going to make me cry.**

***sigh***

**I don't wanna do that right now. I've already cried today because of the new Naruto chapter. The last thing I need to do is start bawling all over again.**

**I'm gonna go make myself some more tea. Maybe I'll make the White Tea with Tangerine rather than the Earl Grey this time. I need to calm myself down.**

**Later…**


	15. Chapter 15

_523 years._

_He went back._

_Back to the time and place where it all began. _

_Back to where it all went wrong._

_He stood upon the sky, high above the conflict below._

_**He watched. **_

_**He waited.**_

_**It came.**_

_The moment he sought. _

_The mistake he would correct._

_He saw himself, walking to the darkness, and struck…_

* * *

As the _Schism_ opened, no one knew what to expect. A Soul Reaper so powerful he had slain a Head Captain in single combat and then proceeded to slay and evade several more Captain-class Soul Reapers before finally being subdued was about to be released after twenty-five hundred years of imprisonment.

But what walked out of the darkness was nothing like what they had imagined.

Smoke clung around the tattered figure as he walked further into the clearing and away from the churning Vortex. He was a skeletal man, emaciated almost to the point of decay. His skin clung to his bones as though neither fat nor muscle remained to support him. His eyes had sunken deeply into the sockets of his skull and his breathing was shallow and raspy, as though the effort of walking just those few feet had been too much for his lungs.

The withered man stopped, swaying in the breeze before slowly rocking back on his heels, letting his head fall back so he could gaze up to the sky. There he saw the twinkling of starlight and in that one moment those who watched him could see the relief in his eyes before they glazed. As the lids fell, this ancient and tortured Soul Reaper released one final breath before letting go of the tiny threads of life that had barely kept him alive long enough to see the stars again.

Twenty-Five hundred years had been too long.

And so, before an audience of Humans, Soul Reapers and one Quincy, a man that had slain his own comrades in the name of power faded into dust.

A somber atmosphere blanketed the clearing. No one had expected the man trapped within the _Schism_ to be so desiccated… so _broken_.

The mood quickly changed to one of alarm and confusion, however, when the rift began to tear wider, and the voice of Yatsufusa once again filled the clearing.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! I may have failed in rescuing the _Schism's_ prisoner, but you must still take his place! If you do not, the Vortex will continue to grow, expanding until either you are captured and imprisoned or the entirety of this precious world of yours is devoured in your place!"

Shocked and alarmed gazes wandered from Yatsufusa's kneeling form over to the nearby Kisuke Urahara, and the normally jovial shop-keeper could not help the melancholy that seeped into his voice as he relayed the most terrible news.

"Kurosaki-san… I'm afraid he's right. They used your _rietsu_ to open the Vortex… It's like ripping a hole in the universe and than using your power to hold it open like a cork. The only way to close it back up again is to pull the cork out… but the only way to do that is to pass through the Vortex and into the _Schism_. When you do, the _rietsu_ used to hold the tear open will be reabsorbed, but… You'll be stuck on the other side."

The clearing fell quiet as everyone tried to wrap their heads around the situation. As they stood in the silence, they could hear the Vortex continue to tear at the fabric of reality, slowly opening wider and wider.

Eventually a single gaze lifted, that of Ichigo Kurosaki himself, and fell once again to Kisuke Urahara before voicing a single question.

"Are you sure?"

The former Captain looked up at the odd tone in the Substitute's voice before merely nodding his head solemnly. He knew the boy wasn't looking for false hope. He could hear the resigned determination in his voice. Ichigo probably already knew the answer to that question, and was just making sure.

And so the next thing the teen said didn't surprise him.

"Urahara-san, I have a favor to ask."

"I already know. I'll do it."

Ichigo nodded his thanks before turning away. Kisuke did indeed know what the teen wanted. He wanted Urahara to tell his family; to take care of them and look after them in his absence. It was something they had discussed after the incident in Hueco Mundo. They always knew that something like this could happen someday… That something could take Ichigo away from everyone and everything he held dear…

They just never expected it to happen quite like this.

Ichigo didn't dare look at his friends, carefully keeping his back to them the entire time. He knew what had to be done, and he knew that if saw them… _any_ of them… he might just loose his nerve. It was going to hurt them all terribly, but there was really no choice in the matter. The resigned teen gazed up at the tear in reality before him, watching the swirling black, before taking in one last breath and releasing it in a tortured sigh.

"There's nothing for it then, I suppose…"

Ichigo started to move forward knowing full well that prolonging this would only make it harder, but was quickly stopped by a familiar voice behind him.

"Wait Ichigo!"

All eyes turned to the petite Soul Reaper that had, up till that point, been uncharacteristically quiet.

"There's no need to be hasty. I'm sure there must be some way…"

"Rukia."

With just the call of her name, Byakuya Kuchiki commanded the attention of his adopted sister. His tone was firm, but even the stoic noble couldn't keep the barest traces of shame out of his voice.

"N-Nii-sama?"

"I am sorry, Rukia, but there is no alternative. If Ichigo Kurosaki does not take his place in the _Schism_, the Vortex will devour this world bit by bit until it claims him. I know it is hard to accept, but the boy is making the right decision."

Rukia stared up at the stoic Captain and didn't even bother trying to fight the small tears that wanted to fall from her eyelashes. She could see the sincerity, and the twinge of sadness, tainting her brother's normally impassive visage. The younger Kuchiki quickly hung her head, letting the tears fall. Normally she would protest, try to find some other solution, but Byakuya's eyes had told her everything. What he had said was the truth, and no amount of talk or denial would change that.

"K-kuchiki-san…?"

Orihime's voice came into the clearing, and Rukia winced. She knew what the girl wanted, but this time…

This time, there was nothing she could do to help.

"I'm sorry, Inoue."

"B-but… no…"

Orihime watched as Rukia, the one person she was sure would never give up on Ichigo, turn away in shame. The healer looked to everyone around her, but only found looks of defeat and resignation. And then she looked up, and saw Ichigo himself. His back was turned to her; his shoulders slouched as he stared into the cavernous void that lead into the depths of the _Schism_.

And then he started walking towards the darkness.

Orihime panicked as she looked around, hoping, _praying_ that someone would stop him.

But no one did.

And then she realized why.

They'd all given up.

"No… NO!"

Orihime's whisper of denial turned into a yell of defiance as she raced forward. She couldn't let Ichigo do this. There _had_ to be another way…

But as the girl started to run she felt a tiny burst of energy come at her from behind, and a moment later thin arms wrapped around the healer's waist and pulled her back.

"I-Ishida-kun? L-Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, Inoue-san, but I can't. There's nothing we can do… Going to him now will only…"

Uryu's words were cut short as Orihime started thrashing in his arms. The girl was deceptively strong, but the Quincy had a decent grip. He knew letting her go would only make the situation worse. So as the healer wiggled and kicked and begged him to put her down, Uryu ignored her requests. He knew she would hate him for this, but it had to be done.

This time, they really _couldn't_ save him.

The Quincy's arms tightened around Orihime's middle, holding her closer in an effort to keep her still. It worked rather well… until the healer's head suddenly snapped backwards.

Uryu hadn't expected the move, and before he knew what was happening he was seated, dazed and holding his bleeding nose and broken glasses.

Orihime hadn't meant to hurt Uryu, but when his arms tightened instinct took over, and the gentle girl did what Tatsuki had taught her to if someone was attacking her from behind. She wanted to apologize, but she knew that she didn't have the time. Ichigo was still moving towards the Vortex, and she had to stop him.

Unfortunately, the inconsolable girl only made it a few yards before another pair of arms, bigger and stronger than the last, snaked their way around her waist before lifting her clear off the ground.

"S-Sado-kun…?"

"I'm sorry, Inoue."

"B-But… he's your _friend!_"

"I know… but I can't help him this time."

"N-no…"

Orihime's gaze fell, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks. This wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. They'd been through so much and now… this is what they get? They'd saved the world together, so many times, and now they were just going to stand there and watch their most important person disappear from their lives?

"You can't…"

Orihime swallowed a shudder as her nails began to dig into Chad's heavy arms in frustration.

"You can't just GIVE UP!"

The healer's breathing was ragged as she screamed at the top of her lungs, but no one dared look at her. They knew what she was saying. They _had_ given up. They knew they couldn't save Ichigo this time.

No one could.

"Inoue."

A quiet voice carried on the wind, and Orihime's head snapped up. Ichigo hadn't turned around, hadn't _looked_ at her, but she knew she had his attention.

"K-kurosaki-kun… _please_…"

"I can't, Inoue. I think you know that, deep down. It's a choice: me or the world. You know as well as I do what I'd pick."

"K-Kurosaki-kun… no…"

"I'm sorry."

He never turned around. He never looked at her, but she knew the sad smile that was on his lips just then. She knew the resignation in his voice. Ichigo had made his decision. He'd made his choice.

He chose the world.

For a second Orihime stood there, suspended in the air while cradled in Chad's arms, unable to do or say anything. She shook as her body cried harder, not knowing what to do. She knew Ichigo was right… but…

But it wasn't _fair_.

And then the Substitute started walking away again, back towards the churning darkness that sought to consume him, and Orihime's rational mind left her.

"NO! You can't!"

The healer renewed her thrashing, kicking and scratching, trying with all her might to make the gentle giant let her go. Chad simply held her up and took the blows, knowing he deserved them.

"KUROSAKI-KUN!"

Orihime was growing tired now. She knew Chad wouldn't let her go, but she had to try. Ichigo meant everything to her. Somehow he had wormed his way so deeply into her heart that she couldn't imagine trying to live without him.

And yet he kept walking. The Vortex wasn't so far now. Just a few more feet.

"_ICHIGO!_"

He hesitated, for just a moment…

But he didn't look back. He couldn't look back. He could hear her quiet sobs across the clearing, and deep down he knew that scream would probably be the last time he ever heard her voice. It would be the last thing she ever said to him…

So be it.

He stepped forward…

"LOOK OUT!"

* * *

**Oh god… I had the sniffles the whole time while writing this.**

**Before anyone decides to tell me 'HOW DARE YOU!" allow me to remind you of one very, VERY important line.**

**Specifically, the last line in the poem at the beginning of the Chapter.**

**Now, I know just how evil it would be to leave off there, so I will tell all of you right now to be very, **_**very**_** grateful.**

**Because Chapter 16 is already written.**

**Note that Chapter 16 is actually quite long. The word count isn't that high, but the page count is rather large, and for good reason.**

**You'll see when you get there.**


	16. Chapter 16

"_**The world changes.**_

_It turns._

_Each time it touches the sun and the moon it takes a new shape._

_The one thing that does not change…_

… _is my powerlessness._

_It's turning._

_If Fate is a millstone…_

… _then we are the grist._

_There is nothing we can do._

_So I wish for strength._

_If I can not protect them from the wheel…_

… _then give me a strong blade…_

… _and enough strength…_

… _to shatter Fate."_

* * *

The warning almost came too late.

Ichigo instinctively jumped back an instant before the area where he had just been standing was suddenly engulfed in a pillar of black flame. He hadn't seen it. He hadn't _sensed_ it. The attack was _huge_, and even _he_ should have feltit coming…

… But he _didn't._

If it hadn't been for Orihime's warning…

Ichigo swallowed heavily at that thought. If she hadn't screamed when she did, he could have died right there.

Then the world grew heavy.

He could feel it now. He didn't know who it was… _what_ it was… but it was _massive_. It didn't feel anything like a Soul Reaper, but it didn't feel quite like a Hollow either. It was deep and dark, heavy and harsh, sharp and searing, terrifying and…

… _Familiar…_

It moved.

A second ago it was above him, but it moved and he could _feel_ it standing right in front of him now. Ichigo tried to force the air into his lungs as he broke out into a cold sweat. He didn't remember dropping his gaze, but he must have because he had to force his eyes to lift from the ground before him. He looked up, and what he saw made the blood freeze in his veins.

He had no name for what stood before him. Ichigo hardly noticed the familiar black _kosode_ fitted snugly to the intruder's form. Instead, he was instantly drawn to the creature's eyes, blazing bright and gold and _cold_. In his peripheral vision, Ichigo could see that its head was like the skull of a man and a bull combined, with horns and flesh a pale white, like a statue of marble, save for pitch black lines that flowed down its 'face', through the cavities of its eyes and further down its cheeks and chin. Red fur grew around its neck like the mane of a lion, contrasting long, billowing locks of brilliantly bright hair that swished in the air behind it.

It was hard to look at it, but Ichigo could not move his gaze. The visage alone was enough to make the Substitute Soul Reaper shiver, but the spiritual pressure _cascading_ off of this… _thing…_ was absolutely _petrifying_. Whatever this creature was, it was powerful in a way Ichigo had _never_ seen before. This thing was strong, above and beyond anything he had ever faced.

Stronger than Grimmjowl.

Stronger than Ulquiorra.

Stronger than _Aizen._

Stronger than _himself_.

Stronger than the four of them, _combined_…

Something deep within the darkest parts of the Substitute's mind tried to tell him that he knew what this was. That he had seen it before. But his consciousness couldn't grasp whatever memory that was trying to surface, trying to make _sense _of it. Instead, his mind was paralyzed by a single thought.

It could kill him.

Ichigo knew it. Just _looking_ at the thing, he _knew it_. If it wanted to, it could kill him as easily as swatting a fly. It could swat him down over and over again until the end of time and never even break a sweat. He didn't think _anything_ could be _that_ powerful…

But _it_ _was._

So why hadn't it _killed_ him yet?

That thought brought Ichigo back to his senses as he shakily sucked in a breath of air, wondering more forcefully. Why hadn't the creature killed him? That first attack had sent the teen reeling, and he was fairly certain now that if the thing wanted to it could have easily made it stick.

It had missed on _purpose_.

Why had it done that?

And why hadn't the _others_ done anything yet?

It was then that Ichigo managed to rip his gaze from the intruder's and look around him. Everywhere his gaze fell there was black flame. The same flame that had forced the teen away from the _Schism_ had surrounded him with no break in sight. He was trapped, here, with the most _powerful_ creature he had _ever_ encountered just _staring_ at him.

_Why?_

"_**She's… crying...**_"

Ichigo shivered at the sound coming from the creature before him. The words were soft… almost lonesome, spoken slowly yet forcefully, as though it took all of the intruder's concentration just to make its voice work. The sound was so quiet that Ichigo was certain he shouldn't be able to hear it, and yet the words themselves resonated deep within the Substitute's mind, as though it were speaking less with its voice and more with its soul.

"_**She's… crying… for you…**_"

That sentence brought Ichigo back to reality, his anxiety momentarily overpowering his fear.

"What are you talking about? Who _are_ you?"

"_**Orihime… cries… for you.**_"

"Why do _you_ care? It's none of your business…"

"_**Wrong.**_"

That single word was louder than the rest, and Ichigo shuddered in fear at the ripple that coursed through the pressure surrounding him. What he'd just said had apparently hit a nerve with… whatever that _thing_ is.

"_**She… is… the reason… I am… here… now. I am… here… to fix… a… mistake… at her… request…**_"

"What are you talking about? Make _sense_ damn it! What _mistake…_ and how do _you_ know _Inoue__!_?"

"_**Do you… want… to know?**_"

Ichigo eyed the creature nervously before merely nodding his head, the earlier shock finally beginning to abate.

"_**I… can… show you.**_"

The intruder lifted his left hand then, and only now did Ichigo notice that it was fisted. The appendage came to rest, palm down and suspended in the air before the intruder, as it continued.

"_**If you… wish to know… then come. Take… what I have… and… your questions… will all… be… answered. All… and more. The truth… is yours… if… you've… the courage to… stand... before me… and… receive it.**_"

The Substitute's knees quivered at the idea of actually getting _closer_ to the monstrosity before him. Every instinct in his mind was screaming _run away_… but Ichigo had conquered his instincts before. The teen quickly crushed the budding panic and determinedly forced his legs to start moving forward.

One step.

Two…

Three…

Four…

Stop.

There he was; standing before the most frightening demon he had ever faced, his courage somehow holding out despite the cold sweat that was dripping down his neck.

The creature acknowledged the movement with the smallest of nods before drawing Ichigo's gaze to its outstretched hand.

"_**Take it.**_"

The Substitute swallowed uncertainly before reaching out, cupping his hand beneath the offering appendage.

The moment Ichigo was in place, the creature released what it was holding, and for an instant the teen saw two familiar blue shapes fall into the open air before landing softly in his palm.

But before he could remember what they were, or who they belonged to, the second object settled and his skin began to burn wherever it touched.

Suddenly, Ichigo's vision was filled with a burst of light before his mind was assailed by thoughts and images. Scenes and events cascaded through his consciousness without any form of coherency before settling…

And he _remembered…_

* * *

"_ICHIGO!"_

_He hesitated, for just a moment._

_But he didn't look back._

_That scream would probably be the last time he ever heard her voice._

_So be it._

_He stepped forward._

_The rift closed._

_Darkness claimed him._

_..._

_He woke to a sky, black and empty._

_No sun._

_No moon._

_No stars._

_Just… Black._

_At his feet was a platform of stone, white and shining._

_It was the only source of light._

_He walked to the platform's edge._

_Not ten feet from the center._

_Beyond its edge lay only sand._

_White Sand._

_And when the light faded, only darkness._

_This was his new World._

_This was his prison._

_..._

_Time passed._

_They kept him company._

_His Zanpaktou._

_His Hollow._

_His power reached its peak._

_He dared not use it._

_He only had so much strength._

_Once it ran out…_

_..._

_Time passed._

_He grew curious._

_He stepped from the platform._

_He walked into the waning light._

_It faded._

_He stood in total darkness._

_He moved deeper…_

…_And saw light._

_He moved towards it._

_He found himself back at the beginning._

_Thus was the extent of his World._

_..._

_Time passed._

_And he realized._

_He had stopped speaking._

_They had all stopped speaking._

_There were no voices._

_There was no wind._

_There was no sound…_

… _Save his steady breath…_

…_And the thunder of his own heart._

_..._

_Time passed._

_He stopped counting the days._

_He stopped wandering._

_He stopped moving at all._

_He slept._

_He woke._

_He slept._

_..._

_Time passed._

_He started to forget._

_He tried to remember._

_His mind was failing him._

_His power was failing him._

_He realized._

_He was dying._

_He remembered._

_They knew this could happen._

_They had a solution._

_But they hadn't used it._

_Why?_

_He wasn't dying then._

_And there were consequences._

_He thought he could last._

_But he was dying now._

_He couldn't wait anymore._

_His power was consuming itself._

_A human couldn't survive._

_A Soul Reaper couldn't survive._

_But if they hid within a Hollow…_

… _Maybe they could._

_..._

_Time passed._

_He had changed._

_He wore a horned mask._

_His flesh was white Hierro._

_His eyes molten gold._

_He was a Hollow._

_Hidden within was the Core._

_The Soul Reaper._

_The Human._

_They slept._

_..._

_Time passed._

_He sat._

_He stared._

_He was silent._

_He was awake._

_He was asleep._

_He was both._

_He was neither._

_..._

_Time passed._

_He sat upon the platform._

_Nothing changed._

_Not the landscape…_

_Not the heavens…_

_Nothing…_

_..._

_Sound…_

_There was a sound…_

_He heard it._

_Quiet._

_Ever so quiet._

_Ever so far away._

_But he heard it._

_It grew._

_Louder._

_Louder._

_Louder._

_Screaming._

_Howling._

_So unbearably LOUD._

_And he saw._

_The sand moved._

_Just a few grains._

_But they moved._

_Movement._

_Something new._

_He watched._

_He listened._

_Even though it hurt._

_Oh so terribly HURT._

_And he remembered._

_Wind._

_Wind had come._

_He moved._

_He looked._

_He looked up._

_There._

_He could barely see._

_But it was there._

_Against the Eternal Black._

_Light._

_Crescent shaped Light._

_Moon._

_There was a Moon._

_He stood._

_He felt it._

_The World had changed._

_He looked around him._

_He saw only white._

_But he saw._

_The darkness was gone._

_And so, he began walking._

_..._

_He wandered._

_He was attacked._

_He saw it._

_White upon grey._

_It charged him._

_Words came to mind._

_Claws…_

_Teeth…_

_Fangs…_

_Mask…_

_Hollow._

_Kill._

_The last was not a thought._

_It was a command._

_Kill the Hollow._

_..._

_He wandered._

_More White Ones attacked._

_Each was killed._

_..._

_He wandered._

_He saw something different._

_Some were Black._

_Some were White._

_They were fighting._

_Words came to mind._

_Hair…_

_Face…_

_Hands…_

_Sword…_

_Zanpaktou._

_Shihakshou._

_Soul Reaper._

_Friend._

_Protect your friends._

_Kill the Hollows._

_..._

_He wandered._

_The Black Ones followed him._

_The White Ones fled from him._

_..._

_He wandered._

_He saw something._

_On the Horizon._

_Something that wasn't sand._

_Just a shape._

_Far away._

_But it was there._

_He went towards it._

_..._

_He arrived._

_It was quiet._

_It was familiar._

_It was comfortable._

_It was destroyed._

_It felt like a part of himself had been left here._

_He sat._

_This was the place._

_He would wait here._

_..._

_He waited._

_Black Ones came._

_They watched._

_They left._

_They came again._

_He ignored them._

_..._

_He waited._

_More Black Ones came._

_Bigger ones._

_No._

_Not bigger._

_Stronger._

_They stood._

_They watched._

_But only one approached._

_He stood._

_He didn't know why._

_He just did._

_One stood before him._

_One brave one stood within arm's reach._

_He felt something._

_Upon his hand._

_A touch._

_A warm touch…_

_His mind clouded._

_Memories surfaced._

_Memories faded._

_He couldn't remember…_

"_Kurosaki-kun?"_

_He stopped._

_Everything stopped._

_Kurosaki-kun…_

_Kurosaki…_

_Name…_

_His Name._

_He remembered._

_She embraced him._

_She told him without words._

'_I'm here…'_

'_You're home…'_

'_You're safe…'_

_The fog lifted._

_He was safe._

_He leaned in._

_For just a moment._

_The Hierro shattered._

_The Mask shattered._

_He felt himself fall._

_He felt her try to catch him._

_And then…_

…_Black._

_..._

_He woke to a dream._

_He woke to white above him._

_The Black was gone._

_It could only be a dream._

_He went back to sleep._

_..._

_He woke to a dream._

_He was in a room._

_He was on a bed._

_He could barely see._

_There was so much white._

_There was someone there._

_A voice._

_Loud._

_Very loud._

_Painfully loud._

_There was silence._

_The voice returned._

_Softer._

_Quiet._

_Comfortable._

_He went back to sleep._

_..._

_He woke to a dream._

_He was in a room._

_He was on a bed._

_He could see more clearly._

_He was not alone._

_Colors._

_Orange._

_Black._

_Blue._

_A touch upon his hand._

_A voice._

_He focused._

_He concentrated._

_He saw her._

_He remembered this dream._

_He'd had it before._

_He tried to speak._

_His voice failed him._

_He tried again._

_He strained._

_A single word._

"_Inoue."_

_She was smiling._

_She was crying._

_He went back to sleep._

_..._

_He woke to a dream._

_She was there._

_He could see her._

_She was talking._

_He listened._

_He didn't understand._

_But he listened anyway._

_She stopped talking._

_He went back to sleep._

_..._

_He woke to a dream._

_She was still there._

_She wasn't talking._

_She was quiet._

_She was breathing._

_She was asleep._

_He watched her._

_He started to remember._

_He went back to sleep._

_..._

_He woke._

_She talked._

_He talked too._

_Slowly._

_Quietly._

_But words all the same._

_..._

_He recovered._

_Slowly._

_Months had passed._

_But he could talk._

_He could move._

_He could stand._

_He could walk._

_He could fight._

_But he wasn't the same._

_There had been consequences._

_He was hollowfied._

_Permanently._

_He would get visitors._

_His eyes frightened them._

_His friends came._

_His eyes frightened them._

_His family came._

_His eyes frightened them._

_But she was there._

_She wasn't frightened._

_She took care of him._

_She helped him._

_He liked that._

_..._

_Time passed._

_Not much time._

_They were together._

_Always together._

_Where she went..._

_He followed._

_..._

_Time passed._

_War came._

_He became her guard._

_He stood beside her._

_He protected her._

_He kept her safe._

_But the city fell…_

_..._

_Time passed._

_They were called away._

_To a new city._

_The King's City._

_But the War would still come._

_He would still stand beside her._

_He would still protect her._

_He would still keep her safe._

_But it would not be enough._

_The Two Kings spoke._

_They knew._

_There was no hope._

_They were destined to fall._

_..._

_Time passed._

_Oh so little time._

_He spent it with her._

_Then the fighting started._

_Then the fighting stopped._

_And he knew._

_They had gotten through._

_They had gotten to her._

_She had been poisoned. _

_It was only a matter of time._

_She kept them alive._

_And now…_

_She was dying._

_..._

_Time passed._

_Even less time._

_No attacks._

_They were waiting…_

_They were waiting for her…_

_They were waiting for her to die…_

_Two Kings met again._

_A decision was made._

_This world could not be saved._

_This world would be destroyed._

_He would destroy it._

_He would remake it._

_He would go back._

_Back to when it all started._

_Back to where it all went wrong._

_And he would change it._

_..._

_He waited._

_He sat beside her._

_He waited for her to die._

_She gave him something._

_She gave him a gift._

_She gave him her memories._

_She gave him his memories._

_But not for him._

_For them._

_For their past._

_For their future._

_..._

_He waited._

_And she died._

_And he was alone._

_All alone._

_Again._

_He didn't wait anymore._

_He took up a small golden box._

_He rent it asunder._

_He claimed its power as his own._

_And then…_

_He left._

_He left the present._

_He left for the past._

_He left to destroy their future._

_He left to save them all._

_He left…_

… _With his life as the price._

_

* * *

_

Ichigo crumpled to the earth, his body broken with shock. His knees trembled after buckling to where he sat, boneless as hot tears began streaming down his cheeks. He didn't move. He didn't blink. He just sat there, eyes wide as he shook uncontrollably. His mind tried desperately to process what had just happened.

Tried… and _failed_.

For he _remembered_.

Everything that happens… no… everything that _would_ have happened, _should_ have happened…

He remembered _all of it_.

He remembered it… as though it had just happened…

… As though he had lived it _himself_.

He remembered…

… That they died.

_Everyone_… _died_…

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do a time-travel fic.**

**Now, be honest here, how many of you suspected time-travel before Chapter 13?**

**Anyone?**

…

**God, do you have any idea how hard it was to keep a lid on that for so long!**

**I thought I was going to lose my mind…**

… **Then again, maybe I did…**

…

**Oh well. I'm sure it will come back eventually…**

**Oh yeah, and one more thing before I leave…**

…

**!MANGA SPOILERS!**

**About friggin' _TIME_!**

_**GO GIN!**_

**Now, as long as he lied about killing Rangiku, Ichimaru will officially be moved from the 'Evil Bastard Needs to Die, NOW!' category 'Kick-Ass Bishie, Don't You DARE Kill Him Kubo!' category.**

**Honestly, anyone that can freak out ****Aizen**** _and_ make the smarmy jerk call him a bastard gets serious WIN points from me.**

**!END SPOILERS!**


	17. Chapter 17

_His wish, a wish made in what seems like another life, had been granted. _

_He had the power to shatter fate._

_And he had used it._

_He watched his past self fall to the ground._

_He watched him suffer._

_He watched him break._

_And for a moment, he regretted what he had done._

_Just a moment._

_But then the younger stood._

_The fire in his eyes blazed back to life._

_And he understood._

**_They both understood._**

_This was the price._

_The price paid for changing history._

_The price paid for destroying a Lost Future._

_The price paid for creating a new one, a better one, in its place._

_For one, agony._

_The burden of knowledge._

_Five hundred years worth of knowledge._

_Five hundred years worth of pain and suffering._

_Five hundred years worth of memories… all ending in failure._

_Complete and utter failure._

_And for the other…_

* * *

In that one instant, everything changed.

So many emotions broiled just beneath the surface of his skin: Anger, sorrow, loneliness, hopelessness…

And Failure.

That one stood out above all the rest.

Everything he saw, everything he felt, it all ended the same way.

With Failure.

The emotions were overwhelming, and simply remembering how to breathe was one of the hardest things Ichigo had ever done. Every second, every thought and every _memory_, left him cold and suffocating.

The images thrust upon his mind slowly began to fade, but they were far from gone. It was like they had been put on the back-burner, out of sight but stalking just at the edge of his consciousness. The tiniest effort would bring the memories careening back into the forefront of his mind, sharp and clear and so dreadfully _painful_.

It took time, perhaps minutes or perhaps hours, but slowly Ichigo managed to bring himself back to reality. With some effort the Substitute's breathing finally evened out. The trembling stopped, and Ichigo's vision finally began registering what was in front of him again. He was sitting limply on the grass, his sword lying forgotten at his side as he stared at his left hand. Lying there, cradled in his open palm, was a single, familiar blue hair-pin in the shape of a hibiscus flower.

Orihime's hair-pin.

It was such a tiny thing, sitting softly in his hand. How they had all taken them for granted. So much power squeezed into such a small, innocent thing. It didn't look right as it rested there alone, but its mate had vanished. It was gone forever, disintegrating the moment it had touched his skin, but it was supposed to do that…

Wait…

Why did he know that?

Why did he know that the hair-pin would disintegrate on contact, the spell contained within burning the dainty object to ash with its intensity?

The moment he thought about it, Ichigo's mind provided him with the answer.

It was a scene from a nightmare. Orihime lay on a bed in a small room, her face contorted in pain despite her attempts to hide it. Her face was flushed with fever, and he knew as he looked at her that she was dying. He was holding her hand gently, like it was made of the finest glass and the slightest nudge could make her shatter.

He remembered listening to her voice. She was explaining the spell, a Kidou she had made so many years ago. She spoke despite the obvious pain it caused her, telling him how it worked. The memories would be copied into an anchor, her hair-pins, and would continue to record every thought and every image until they were passed on, one way or another.

He remembered how a spasm struck her for a moment as she spoke. Her body shook and she coughed, and he was tempted to make her stop speaking; tempted to make her rest.

But she would have none of it.

As soon as she caught her breath again, she continued. She described how the memories, once transferred, would never leave. They would fade after a few days, but all they'd had to do was think about them, about what they wanted to know, what they wanted to remember, and they would. The memories would come back, clear as day, for them to see and examine as needed.

He remembered how she started going into the particulars of the spell, pride shining in her voice before another spasm attacked her. This time it was worse, and she quickly coughed and wheezed until she passed out from the strain…

Ichigo blinked, his eyes refocusing on the world around him rather than the disturbing, painful images that flitted through his mind and made him shiver. The Substitute's fist gently closed around the lone blue, flower shaped hair-pin that still lay flat upon his palm. He took in one more shaking breath to steady himself before his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice, quiet but firm and laced with a hint of worry.

"_**Have you… recovered?**__"_

Ichigo's head snapped up at the sound, his eyes locking onto the dark, golden orbs of the man standing before him. He knew who it was now. He couldn't tell before, the fear clouding his sight, but now it was different.

It was himself.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

From five hundred and twenty three years in the future.

From a future that no longer exists.

Ichigo noticed things about the man before him now. Things he hadn't seen before. He could see the mask properly, recognizing it immediately as his own. But upon the white bone were crisscrosses of countless hair-line fractures, cracking endlessly along the surface only to be chased by the dark energy that worked constantly to repair them. He noticed the long orange hair as it continued to swish in the barely illuminated air around him. The strands, once so insultingly vibrant, had dulled and were now streaked with varying shades of white and grey. The form-fitting Shihakusho he wore was ripped and torn in places, spatters of old, dried blood caked onto the cloth. Tensa Zangetsu rested in a sheath at his hip, hanging limply from a single black chain that was slung across his shoulder. Just like the man before him, the blade seemed battered and worn, as though it had seen too many battles, too much bloodshed, and longed for rest.

He could see all of him now, not just the infernal light that shone in his eyes. He could see the emotion behind them; the sorrow, the loneliness, the pain. This wasn't some great hero. He wasn't some champion, a savior or a saint.

He was just an old man at the end of his life, trying to make up for his mistakes.

And Ichigo understood that because a part of that man, the man that couldn't save anyone, was now a part of _him_. He had his memories; his thoughts and fears, his pain and sorrow.

And he knew what to do with them.

With a nod Ichigo stood, staring at this man, his _future self_, wondering what they should do now only to be reminded of his fisted hand and what it contained.

Memories.

For _Orihime_.

Ichigo swallowed at that thought, opening his hand to gaze at the delicate object…

Could he do that to her? Could he give her that hair-pin and let her remember all of that pain and suffering? Was it worth it to put her through all of that, just so she could remember those few short years after she found him? Those few, short, happy moments before it all came crashing down in flames…

"_**It is… up to you.**_"

Ichigo looked back to the man before him, wondering if he had somehow read his mind.

"_**You don't… have to… give it… to her… if you think… you can… manage… on your own. It is… your choice.**_"

"You're wrong. It isn't my choice; it's Inoue's."

Ichigo looked his future self in the eyes, feeling the strength and conviction finally returning to him. For a moment the man before him stared, perhaps in surprise, perhaps in confusion, but eventually he blinked before nodding in understanding. Ichigo was right, after all. The Substitute may not have had a choice concerning himself, but Orihime did. She didn't have to _remember, to _endure that pain, if she didn't want to. It was a decision that she had to make for herself, and they didn't have the right to deny her the chance.

They owed her too much for that.

A few moments passed before a thought struck Ichigo and despite the somber mood he couldn't help but chuckle, though the mirth was tempered with a hint of exasperation. The teen shook his head before catching his companion's questioning glance, and a strained smile spread across his lips as he answered.

"I still call her _Inoue, _even when she can't hear me. You'd think that after everything we've been through together I would have gotten up the courage to call her by her first name…"

It took only a second for the words to sink in, but once they had Ichigo found his own despondent chuckle joined by another. It was quiet, and the voice was breathy and distorted, but there was still a hint of humor behind it.

The awkward amusement came to an end, and Ichigo found himself looking past the man before him, towards the wall of black fire that separated him from the _Schism's_ Vortex. He knew what was coming next; what _had_ to be done, for all their sakes…

But that didn't mean he liked it.

"Is this really the only way? I mean… after all of _that_… it's just not _fair_…"

"_**Fair… has nothing… to do with it. It must… be done. You know why.**_"

"But… that _sucks_."

"_**Not so much. One life… to maintain… the paradox. A small… price to pay… in my eyes.**_"

And Ichigo couldn't refute him.

The logic was sound.

After all, it was the same logic he had used earlier to convince himself to enter the _Schism_ in the first place.

With a resigned sigh the Substitute Soul Reaper locked eyes with the golden pools of the man before him one more time before nodding in understanding.

He didn't like it.

It wasn't fair.

But he would accept it.

He really had no choice.

"_**Are you ready?**_"

A simple nod was Ichigo's only reply.

He was ready.

And it was time.

The flames receded.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

Shock.

That was the only word to describe what they felt.

Complete and utter shock.

Human and Soul Reaper alike stared in stunned silence as they watched the convulsing hemisphere of scalding _black_ that had suddenly engulfed the area just before the _Schism_. It swirled and coalesced, fitful in its rest after having enveloped a few dozen yards worth of field before the Vortex…

… And Ichigo Kurosaki.

Kisuke Urahara gazed at the mass of searing energy, torn between curiosity and, he was not ashamed to admit, abject terror. His mind reeled at the sight before him, trying desperately to determine what had just happened. One instant he watched as Ichigo prepared walked forward, sacrificing himself for the greater good, and in the next there was a pillar of black flame that struck between the teen and the _Schism_. Before anyone truly realized what had happened the flame spread, surrounding the Substitute in a black dome, effectively segregating him from everyone else.

Everyone, that is, except the other person within the dark inferno.

They had all felt the overwhelming presence of this new intruder. It was deep and dark, undeniably Hollow, and yet it burned like the sun despite the evil aura.

Urahara had only caught the smallest of glimpses of the perpetrator as it flashed into the dome as the fire spread. It was just a vague shape in the shadow, one that the ex-Captain might have written off as his imagination were it not for the sudden _crushing_ energy that filled the air around him.

And all Kisuke could do was stare.

The more he looked, the more he _sensed_, the more his fear turned to wonder. He knew it. His mind was telling him, _screaming _at him that he _knew _this creature, beyond any shadow of doubt.

But how, and from where?

And then he felt it.

It was just a fluctuation, a minor twitch within the energies trapped behind the dome of fire, so miniscule that no one around him had noticed it.

But he _did_.

The scientist in him tried to tell him it was impossible, that there were _two _people in there. And yet he was certain he hadn't misread it. Within that dome was only _one _spiritual presence. It was that blinding, searing energy that lit up the senses. It was massive and all encompassing, crushing yet restrained. It burned the air and warped the space around them. It was raw, undiluted _power_: a spiritual pressure that blazed brilliantly despite the twisted, Hollow taint that permeated the air.

It was Ichigo Kurosaki.

_All of it_… was Ichigo Kurosaki.

Unfortunately, Kisuke Urahara didn't have the time to dwell on that startling realization, or the implications, because at that moment the black dome of fire split at the top. The burning energy began receding, drawing the walls of dark flame back down to the earth below…

* * *

**Finally!**

**I'm feeling better.**

**I absolutely **_**hated**_** the openings I had for this chapter and for the next chapter of 'The One-Month Experiment', so I've spent the last few days trying to get back into a groove and fix them. I refuse to force a story, since that just gets you bad chapters.**

**Thankfully, I think I've managed to get out of my funk.**

**A bit.**

**Aaanyway…**

**My birthday is coming up soon.**

**Yup, I'm an August gal! August 26****th**** to be precise.**

**An interesting little fact about my family; it's easy to remember my, my mom's, and my grandma's birthdays because they all fall on the same date, just in different months. My mom is February 26****th****, and grandma is April 26****th****.**

**I guess we just have a thing for the number 26.**

**Although, if I ever get married and have a daughter and **_**she**_** gets born on the 26****th**** of 'something', I'm gonna call Guinness, cause that's gotta be some kind of record.**

**Seriously, FTW.**


End file.
